Seal Shatter
by Quill of Molliemon
Summary: AU/AR, mid-Chuunin Exams on. Orochimaru fails to seal the Kyuubi's chakra in the Forest of Death. Naruto interferes with Sasuke's curse mark. And what's wrong with the Hokage? Read and review, please!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto (obviously)...I'm making no money on this...so don't sue.

**Notes:** For people who have read Fire Shadow's Son...I'm sorry, but this isn't a sequel.

This is a completely unrelated AU.

But this story is a lot of fun!

(At least _I_ think so...)

Anways, read, enjoy, and please review!

* * *

**Prologue **

There was a roaring in his ears as he sprinted through the trees. Maybe it was the rushing wind, or the blood thrumming in his veins, or the loud pounding of his heart. Whatever it was, he didn't care.

Those freaky giant snakes had led him far away from Sakura-chan, Sasuke-teme, and that freaky Kusa-nin. Now that the snakes were history, he needed to get back before the fight was over. He needed to show Sasuke-teme that he was no baby, and he needed to kick that nasty Kusa-nin into next week!

Baring his teeth in a wild grimace, he burst out into a small clearing—

"Sakura-chan!"

She was kneeling down on the ground. Sasuke-teme was slumped limp and dead-looking in her arms. The Kusa-nin was nowhere in sight, but she—he—_it_—could be anywhere, just waiting to strike…

Naruto rushed down the tree trunk, high on adrenalin and feeling wired. "Sakura-chan! What's wrong with Sa—_aie!_"

"S-stay away!" the pink-haired girl squeaked, brandishing one of her kunai as tears leaked from her green eyes.

"Huh? Sakura-chan?" Naruto hesitated, frowning in confusion. "What are you doing? It's just me—"

"That's a horrible _henge_!" Sakura snapped. "No way that I'll believe you're Naruto!"

He raised his hand to try and calm her. "Wha—?"

His mouth snapped shut when he caught sight of the back of his hand. His fingernails were pointed and claw-like. Checking his other hand, he found the same thing. Swallowing hard, his tongue brushed against his teeth, and he found that he had fangs…

Shock cooled the fire in his veins. His nails started to melt back into their usual bluntness and he felt kind of tired. Clenching his jaw, he grasped at the fading fire he felt prickling under his skin.

_That Kusa-nin could be anywhere. It's not safe. I still need that chakra!_

There was a rumbling growl in the back of his mind and he shivered.

_That nin took out Sasuke with his fancy eyes—I'll need everything I've got!_

He heard another snarl, but the fire in his veins flared up a bit, and his nails solidified into claws again.

_Okay…_

"Sakura-chan, seriously, it's me!" he protested, returning his focus to his female teammate. "I-I did this before…on the bridge in Wave against Haku. You just didn't see it because of all the ice and mist, I swear! That's how I beat him after Sasuke got all full of needles."

The girl blinked and half-lowered her weapon. "…Naruto?"

"Of course!" Naruto snorted and moved his hands into position to start a particular jutsu. "I'll even prove it!"

"If you do that stupid _henge_, I'll pound you!" Sakura snapped, glaring.

"Okay," the blonde hurriedly agreed and dropped his hands. He scampered over to Sasuke's side and frowned when he heard the Uchiha's labored breathing. "What's wrong with Teme?"

"I…I don't know," Sakura sniffed. "That Grass ninja…did something to him. It bit his neck!" She shifted the boy in her arms so that Naruto could see a strange black mark on the Uchiha's neck. "It hurt him—Sasuke-kun screamed like he was dying! And now…he won't wake up…" She sniffled. "It feels like he's getting a fever…"

Naruto frowned at the mark—three fat comma-like marks that swirled around each other, and kind of reminded him of the tomoes of the Sharingan. He reached out and touched it with his finger experimentally… It felt cold and slimy and prickly and all kinds of bad news.

A hissing growl between his ears reinforced his conclusion that the freaky hickey was evil.

"What is it?"

"I have no idea!" Sakura snapped.

"Well you're the smartest one next to Sasuke-teme," Naruto shrugged helplessly.

The pink-haired genin swallowed hard. "It-it's something advanced, whatever it is. Some kind of seal…maybe?"

Naruto squinted at the mark. "A seal?"

Seals were tricky, complicated things. They were markings made up of formulas of symbols that were merged together through the careful introduction of chakra. They stored things into scrolls, locked doors, sound-proofed rooms, set off explosions—the list went on and on. If a ninja was knowledgeable enough about seals, they could do just about anything with them.

Naruto barely knew more than the average newly-minted genin did about seals. He could use exploding tags, letter-bombs, and get things out of (and back into) storage scrolls. And then there was…that thing he'd read about in that book…

He'd found an advanced book on seals under his mom's bed when he was eight. Most of the stuff in it went completely over his head, except for one simple technique. It was an emergency seal-breaking jutsu, only to be used in…emergencies.

_This is definitely an emergency._ Naruto molded his clawed hands into the dragon seal, the tiger, the snake, and then the ram. _It can't hurt to try, right?_

Clenching his teeth, he jabbed his index and middle finger into the black mark and shoved the molded red chakra into it.

_Please let this work…_


	2. Broken Mind

**Chapter 1:** _  
Broken Mind_

The Hokage stood on one of the observation catwalks in the fighting arena hidden at the heart of the massive "Forest of Death" training field and did his best to pay full attention to the fights unfolding beneath him. The genin who had made it through the dangerous, ancient forest course within the time limit and with the required scrolls were being weeded out in this preliminary tournament that led to the third and final exam—the individual fighting tournament in front of civilians, dignitaries (local and foreign), and other ninja (local and foreign). In that round he was one of the judges and his opinions carried a lot of weight. It was best to really observe all the chuunin candidates now and see how much they progressed over the month they'd have to train before the final part of the exam to better gauge their potential.

_I really shouldn't be a judge, though,_ he reflected. _I don't have any experiences of my own to compare to what I see them do. Even after observing previous exams it's so hard to tell apart the varying skill levels of such young, inexperienced fighters…for me, anyway. …At least there is the official proctor and other jounin observers to make up for me._

The matches were brutal, some exceptionally so. It pained him to watch children try to kill each other so savagely. They should still be in school, studying to be doctors, lawyers, scientists, or farmers. They should be playing with their friends, saving up their allowance to buy that one special thing that they desired, falling in love for the first time. They shouldn't be little killers with blood on their hands.

But it had to be this way, he'd been told. Such soft childhoods were for civilians. To be secure and prosper, a hidden village must have ninja, and the sooner one becomes a ninja the better. That was the truth in the world in which he lived.

It made him sick inside.

He wanted so desperately to change it. But the leaders of the other villages didn't feel the same way. To keep his village from being crippled and at disadvantage, the best he could do for the children was the raise the minimum age requirements for admission to and graduation from the Ninja Academy by a few years. It wasn't nearly enough, but a few more years of innocence was better than none at all.

_They all say that I __**wanted**__ this job_, he thought glumly. _They said I'd be protecting the village as Hokage. But it seems like most of what I do is send people to die, or send them to kill… What kind of person must I have been to __**want**__ such a position?_

_"One with a good heart and a strong soul,"_ she would tell him. _"It takes a strong man to do what needs to be done, and a good man to make sure that what is done is right."_

Or at least that's what he thought she'd say if she were here to hear his doubts. She'd probably find a blunter way to say it, a less flowery way. His assistant preferred speaking her mind to beating around the bush most of the time. Her honest opinions were refreshing in the shadowy world of ninjas and politics.

But for all her honesty and loyalty, there were always doubts. Danzou, an ANBU veteran and a leader of part of that shadowy organization, openly despised the Hokage's assistant. The crippled man warned the Hokage that she could abuse the prestige and trust granted by her position in his administration. She could manipulate him into pursuing her personal agenda and decide things in her favor. She could even seduce him and further her influence over him. The woman was a foreigner and former foreign ninja and Danzou wouldn't put anything past her.

His assistant, however, didn't seem the type to do any of the things that Danzou liked to insinuate. She never flaunted her position, she never sought favors, she disdained politics in general, and she'd certainly never made any attempt to seduce him. Although if she would seduce him, he wouldn't—

_Bad thoughts!_ He swallowed hard and mentally kicked himself. _I can't think that way about her, I'm her boss! And besides…she has a son._

Speaking of her son, the boy was being pitted against an Inuzuka boy and his puppy. He struggled not to smile as the blonde genin marched down the stairs to the arena floor, eager to face down his feral-looking opponent. It was even harder to keep from smiling as he recalled the story behind the boy's current outfit.

While shopping, the boy had fallen in love with what had later been described to him as an orange _I'm-over-here-please-stab-me_ outfit. His mother refused to buy it and had to threaten to ground him to get him to pick out something else. The boy had sulkily settled on mostly black attire with orange sleeves and had pouted for the rest of the day.

_"I'm not big on fashion and I'm all for self-expression,"_ she'd snorted as she'd gone to get him some coffee, _"but really…I'm starting to think that he was born without common sense!"_

The corner of his mouth twitched as the two boys did a little trash-talking before they got around to exchanging blows. He shouldn't have any favorites in this exam, but he couldn't help hoping that his assistant's son did well. He'd known the boy ever since he was barely more than a toddler and he adored the rascally brat.

_I wouldn't mind having a kid like him…_

The Hokage shifted on his catwalk perch and watched intently as the preliminary match commenced.

_Well, Uzumaki Naruto, let's see what you can do._

* * *

"…so you'll give these to Hokage-sama?"

"Of course," she smiled at the bright-eyed young blonde woman and accepted the paper bag filled with fresh, home-made cookies.

"Thank you!" the woman smiled and scampered away.

"He'll get your cookies…if there are any left by the time he returns from the Forest of Death."

Rolling her eyes, she pocketed the note that came with the cookies and carried the bag to the jounin lounge where she abandoned it to whoever had a hungry sweet tooth.

_I don't see why they keep trying,_ she mentally snorted and went about the Tower, collecting various bits of paperwork to dump on the Hokage's desk. _Baked goods, flowers, and love letters don't work. If they had, he would be married with a pack of kids by now._

_Thank god I was never so hopeless…_

Irritating female fans were one of the hazards when a young, handsome bachelor was made Hokage, she supposed. At least she'd figured out a handy way of disposing of their unwanted tokens of affection. Hokage-sama never seemed to know what to do with the gifts his admirers gave him, so she distributed the food throughout the Tower for any ninja to nibble on, used the flowers to decorate her own house, filed the letters and cards away in a file cabinet should anyone ever want to look at the things, and took whatever else was leftover to pawn shops or donated it to charity.

"Kushina-san! Kushina-san!"

She cringed and peered over her shoulder to find her fears confirmed. "…Yeah, Ebisu?"

"May I assist you?" the shade-wearing ninja asked hopefully.

"Um…" She glanced down at the stack of file folders, scrolls, and miscellaneous papers that she was barely keeping a grip of, and sighed. "Okay."

The special jounin cheerfully accepted most of the load from her arms and followed her down the hall to the Hokage's office. While Kushina appreciated the help, she rather wished that some other ninja had offered her aid. Preferably one who wasn't part of her thankfully small but irritatingly persistent "fan-club"…like Ebisu was.

"I must say, Kushina-san, you're looking exceptionally lovely today," Ebisu grinned, peering over the top of his round shades.

"That's nice," she grunted and yanked the office door open. "If you could put all of that there"—she gestured towards the Hokage's desk—"I'll get it set up for Hokage-sama's perusal."

"The second phase of the Chuunin Exams is due to complete soon," the special jounin remarked as he deposited the load of paperwork where she had pointed. "In the interim between the second and third phases of the exam, would you care to join me for lunch? I have heard of a new café opening and I would like to gain your opinion—"

"I'm busy, Ebisu," Kushina muttered and started sorting things into piles. "And besides, as I've told you before, Naruto is my screener. If he doesn't like you, I won't even consider dating you." She flashed her pest a tight smile. "And Naruto doesn't think too much of you."

Ebisu looked like he'd bitten into an especially sour lemon.

Every man who tried to weasel a date out of her was driven away or kept at bay at the mention of her son. No matter how attractive and intriguing they found her, when they were reminded that getting involved with her meant associating with the "demon-brat" they tended to back off really quick. The very fact that she was the mother of the _bakemono_ probably turned off ninety percent of the men who might otherwise be interested in getting to know her better.

_I never thought Naruto's pariah status would ever be useful…_ She rather angrily tapped a bunch of forms that needed stamping to arrange them in a severely neat stack. _Of course, if I had it __**my**__ way, no one who didn't need to know about the demon __**would**__ know about it._

But things _weren't_ her way. As it was, she considered it a miracle that she'd kept custody of her son and prevented him from being forged into a weapon for the village. It was hard, but she did her best to look at the bright side of things. If she didn't, despair would've destroyed her long ago—before she'd even had the chance to be a ninja of the leaf, probably.

_One day you'll show them, Naruto!_ she thought fiercely. _One day they'll see you for who you are, not what they think you are. And with these Chuunin Exams, maybe "one day" will be soon…_

"The boy's low opinion of me probably stems from the fact that I am a teacher, and according to his poor grades he has no love for teachers or education," Ebisu sniffed.

"Speaking of teaching, don't you have Konohamaru and his little gang to be tutoring?" Kushina asked.

"Currently they are still in class at the Academy," the special jounin informed her. "Are you certain you don't wish to join me at that café I mentioned? We both have time—"

"I'm busy," she muttered and brushed past him out of the office. "Excuse me."

She stormed her way up through the Tower until she reached the platform-like roof. Leaning against one of the curved pillars—which gave the tower the appearance of wearing a claw-like crown—she stared out in the general direction of training field forty-four: the dreaded Forest of Death. Judging by how long it was taking the Hokage to return, they were holding preliminary matches in the small, hidden arena building there.

Normally she would watch the preliminary matches (if there were any) with the Hokage when the exam was held in Konoha. But Naruto was competing in this exam, and there was no way she would risk hurting his chances for advancement by "tainting" the Hokage's opinion. And if he made it to the final round, she would sit in the stands with everyone else, instead of up by the Hokage's seat of honor.

_I wish I knew how things were going though,_ she pouted. _No one leaves the Forest of Death until the preliminaries are over. Unless, of course, they need dire medical attention…_

But she would know if that had happened to Naruto. Not that it would. Fox demon healing machine aside, Naruto was an Uzumaki, and that made him tough. If anyone came out of the Forest of Death for medical reasons, it would be that girly wimp of a kunoichi that he'd been teamed with.

_If only Naruto would stop chasing her. She's obviously into little Sasuke, and smacks Naruto at the drop of a hat…_ She shook her head and scowled at the wind blew all the loose strands of red hair that had escaped her braid into her face. _Really, I don't see what's so appealing about her. She's smart and has good control, but her ninja skills are mediocre at best, and her stamina is pathetic. Dead-weight with brains is still dead-weight…_

After meeting her son's teammates once they'd been accepted by their sensei, she'd immediately found the pink-haired fan-girl to be the weak link. She'd offered to tutor the girl, but been turned down. The silly girl was worried that by accepting the tutoring offer, she would somehow be offending her primary sensei or something.

_Offend Kakashi?_ She snorted. _The slacker would __**love**__ it if I whipped her into shape for him. Perhaps now that she's gotten a good taste of the real ninja world, she'll reconsider…_

The cry of a soaring hawk momentarily distracted her. She watched as the bird of prey lazily circled high over the village. Seeing how it wasn't in any hurry to go anywhere, she concluded that it was just a wild bird and not bearing some important message. She eyed it wistfully for a minute, before turning her gaze down to the sea of roofs below.

It was funny how life turned out sometimes, she reflected. As a child, all she dreamed of was being a top kunoichi. Playing house and wearing dresses were for little sissy girls; boys were for punching, not kissing. Babies were disgusting and annoying. Reading was only for when you were sick or injured and unable to do anything really productive. And who needed to know how to cook when there was instant cup ramen and take-out?

Yet here she was, grown and a _retired_ kunoichi. She'd kissed a boy, and done a great deal more with him. She'd had a baby and raised him up to genin. As the Hokage's assistant, she spent a great deal of time reading, writing, and researching when she wasn't fetching coffee or fast food. And—horror beyond horror—she'd learned how to cook.

_If the young me were to meet the current me, she'd be so angry and embarrassed…_ Kushina smiled humorlessly and futilely tried to keep the loose strands of hair out of her eyes. _But I wouldn't change anything… Well, okay, maybe a few things, but not Naruto._

If she could have her way, the Kyuubi wouldn't exist, or at least pick some other target to try and raze. The damnable Bijuu would be mortal and therefore killable, instead of requiring imprisonment within an infant host. He wouldn't have gone on that mission, he would've come back himself, he would still love her…

A flicker of movement caught her eye—a small pack of ANBU bounding over the rooftops, cocooning a single figure.

_So, the second part of the exam is over, then._ Pushing off the pillar, she retreated down the trapdoor and back into the Tower. _I better get him his coffee…and maybe one of those cookies, if there are any left._

Fifteen minutes later, she sat by one of the windows in the Hokage's office, a steaming cup of black coffee in one hand, a small paper plate of the last of the cookies in the other…and a cookie in her mouth.

_Damn, these things are good! Tastes like vanilla and cinnamon… I outta track this girl down and steal her recipe!_

The office door creaked open—and she immediately switched gears.

Kushina chucked the coffee out the open window, shut the window, and started lowering all the blinds, putting the whole office into shadow. Leaving the cookies on the windowsill, she activated the sound-proofing seals built into the walls while the ANBU helped the Hokage to his seat. As soon as the ANBU withdrew, she hung the "do not disturb" tag on the door handle, shut the door, and locked it.

He looked awful. He was slumped in his nice leather swivel chair, pale and sweaty and sick-looking. If she hadn't seen it so many times before, it would've freaked her out.

Careful to be as quiet as possible, she retrieved a rag from one of his desk drawers and soaked it in the small pitcher of lukewarm water that was always sitting at the corner of his desk. She gently removed his forehead protector and brushed aside damp golden-yellow spikes of hair to reveal the angry red glow of an incomplete seal. Swallowing a sigh, she pressed the wet cloth to the ugly, fragmentary marks to ease the burning pain.

"K'shina-san," he wheezed, eyes squeezed shut against the migraine.

"Shh," she whispered. "Don't talk. I'm right here, Yondaime-sama."

_"If you truly love something, let it go."_ Her father had told her once, about a seagull chick she'd kept and raised as pet. _"If it comes back, it's yours. If not, then it's happier being free."_

_I'm right here, Minato. You don't remember me, but I'm here. I'll always be here…no matter what._


	3. Broken Curse

**Chapter 2:** _  
Broken Curse_

_Pink snow. No. Petals from cherry blossoms. Drifting around him like magical confetti._

_Slender fingers grasped his shoulders from behind. Long strands of bold red fluttered with the petals in the light breeze. There was a warm puff of breath on the back of his neck._

_"Minato—"_

* * *

He snapped upright and clutched at his forehead as invisible burning needles were stabbed into his brain. It was agonizing, but thankfully brief. When it ceased, he opened his eyes and found himself in his bedroom.

"I must have been dreaming about a memory…" he guessed glumly.

It was impossible to tell whether he was correct in his guess or not. The painful jolt to wakefulness had erased whatever he'd been dreaming about. It happened almost every morning and was a very irritating way to wake up.

Scrubbing a hand over his face, he dragged himself out of bed and went about his morning routine. A nice hot shower washed away the lingering fuzz of sleep and helped ease the residual throbbing of his head. Once the bathroom was all steamy, and the hot water was in danger of running out, he moved on to brushing his teeth and shaving.

Wiping some of the fog off the mirror, he scowled at his reflection. He didn't even have to push back his hair to see the ugly red marks etched into his forehead. Even when they were covered up by his hitae-ate, he could still see them in his own mind's eye.

The seal marks were a dull red, the color of dried blood—not the usual black, or even the strange pale green of the Hyuuga's "caged bird" seal. It looked like knots of barbed wire or thorny branches, but with clear gaps and obvious missing pieces. Whoever had applied the seal to him had done a shoddy and incomplete job.

And no one knew what the seal was.

The Sandaime Hokage, sometimes referred to as "the Professor" for his great knowledge, had been unable to decipher it. Jiraiya-sama, a renowned expert on seals, didn't know what it was. And he himself, also supposedly a seal expert, couldn't make heads or tails of it either.

The incomplete pattern matched nothing in the village archives. Any attempt to probe the markings and find out their structure caused him intense pain. Every attempt to remove them had caused even greater pain, sometimes even landing him in the hospital and leaving him comatose for several days afterwards.

In the end, the Sandaime had put a stop to any further attempts to tamper with or remove the seal out of fear that he would be permanently damaged or killed. Instead, the effects of the seal were covered up. Officially, he'd suffered a severe concussion that had resulted in partial, permanent amnesia, and left him with the occasional migraine.

But in reality, all his troubles stemmed from the seal he kept hidden under his forehead protector.

_I don't know who I am. I don't remember my parents. I don't remember my sensei. I don't remember my students. I don't remember my friends…or my enemies. All I have are my ninja skills—which I don't remember learning—and what other people tell me._

_…I hate this._

Trying to remember did no good. Whenever he tried to focus on some story about something he'd done or experienced, or some object that was supposedly important to him, he'd get a migraine. The seal, incomplete and probably malformed as it was, blanked his memory, and kept it blank.

_Yesterday was strange though,_ he frowned as he got dressed. _I wasn't trying to remember anything when I got that migraine. I was just leaving the hidden complex in the Forest of Death when it just…hit me._

Putting aside the troubling event, he finished dressing and paused at the nightstand by his bed. On the small table sat three framed pictures: a portrait of his dead parents, a photo of his child self with his sensei and two teammates (both deceased now), and a picture of himself as a sensei with three students (two of which were dead). They didn't mean much to him; he didn't remember the people or how his relationship had been with them. But he kept the images, nonetheless.

Also resting on the small table was a tiny velvet box. He had found it when he'd been packing up to move into the Hokage Manor after he'd been talked into accepting the position after the Sandaime's death from the demon-sealing. Brushing his fingertips pensively over the case, he opened it to stare at what it contained.

The ring was pale gold with a small light green stone framed by what he guessed were two tiny diamonds. The band was decorated with simple etched patterns that looked like wind-blown leaves. It didn't look like an engagement ring, but it was clearly intended for a lady's hand. He was also certain that it wasn't a family heirloom; it was shiny and new, not scuffed and worn.

_Jiraiya-sama and Kakashi-san assure me that I had no girlfriend—that there was no one special in my life._ He snapped the box shut and set it down, seeking to dodge the building pressure in his skull. _…But if there was no one, why do I have that ring?_

Massaging his throbbing temples, he turned and headed for the office.

* * *

Kushina sipped at her tea while she watched Naruto bolt down his breakfast. He was so wound up about training for the exams that she almost had to tie him to the chair to convince him to eat first. His enthusiasm was excellent, but if he didn't leash and focus it, it would do more to hinder his training than help it.

_So, he made it to the finals…and he'll be pitted against Hyuuga Neji. That's a real hard match. Neji's got a full year of experience on him __**and**__ a kekkei genkai on top of that!_

But Naruto had a good reason to beat that kid. He'd told her all about the slaughter match between the two Hyuuga, and how cruel Neji had been to his cousin. If she'd been there as she usually was they would've had to hold her back from throttling the stuck-up brat herself.

_You don't do stuff like that to family._ She hid her frown in her teacup. _And the Hyuuga's claim that their clan management through the caged bird seal isn't internally divisive… Lies!_

"I bet Kakashi-sensei's gonna teach me something really cool to stomp Neji with!" Naruto grinned and stuffed more egg into his mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Kushina reminded him.

Her boy seemed to be forgetting that Sasuke had also advanced to the final round, and they shared the same teacher. There was no way for Kakashi to adequately prepare both boys at the same time because they would immediately know all of the other's secrets should they end up fighting each other as the tournament progressed. In fact, she knew Kakashi's plans already.

The jounin had swung by just before she'd gone to wake Naruto for breakfast to fill her in. Kakashi would find a tutor to take over Naruto's training while he took Sasuke out of the village to train. Orochimaru (that traitorous snake!) had infiltrated the exam and made some kind of attempt on the Uchiha boy. Clearly the rogue Sannin was after the rare and deadly Sharingan, and Sasuke was his best bet to get it.

_Even if Orochimaru wasn't slinking around, he would take Sasuke. Kakashi sees himself in that boy. And he sees Obito. Those two factors alone cement Sasuke as the favored student._

"Done!" Naruto cried and dumped his dishes in the sink.

"Try not to do anything too strenuous for at least an hour, or you're going to throw all that back up!" she yelled after him as he dashed out the door.

"Bye!"

The door slammed and she rolled her eyes. "Kids…"

_Oh well…_ She polished off her tea and went about watering her houseplants. _Better get ready for work. With that snake sniffing around, things are going to be tenser than usual…_

* * *

"Has it been bothering you lately?"

The Hokage paused in skimming the report in his hand and glanced over to see a towering, white-haired man leaning against his office wall. "What?"

"The seal," the intruder clarified.

He went back to the report. "Not as much lately. Once a week, if that."

"Well, that's good news, at least."

The Yondaime made no reply.

_Maybe if I ignore him, he'll get to the point, or go away…_

His uninvited visitor was Jiraiya of the _Densetsu no Sannin_, and his former sensei. Personally, he wasn't terribly impressed with the man. Jiraiya was open and downright proud of his vices—whoring, drinking, and a little gambling. The young Hokage really had no idea how he'd managed to stand the man, let alone learned anything useful from him. While the man had been partially helpful in the beginning—after the loss of his memory into the early days of his ascendancy to Hokage—Jiraiya eventually drifted away to keep tabs on the rogue Orochimaru and various other threats to the village. The Yondaime had been rather glad to see him gone.

"I assume you've noticed that Orochimaru is slinking around," Jiraiya remarked.

"Yes, Jiraiya-sama," he nodded, eyes never leaving the mission notes. "Kakashi-san reported to me that Orochimaru assaulted his students in the Forest of Death and attempted to do something to Uchiha Sasuke."

"So he seeks the power of the Sharingan," the lecher mused. "But that's not all he's after. It would be much less risky to capture Sasuke while he's out on a mission instead of infiltrating the village at a time like this, when security is heightened for the exams. …He's come here for some other reason." There was a sigh. "Mark my words; there will be trouble this exam."

"Great," the Hokage muttered, slumping into his seat. _Just what I need…_

"Well…I'll be around…"

When the Hokage glanced up, he was alone again.

_Good riddance._

The Sannin always made him feel uncomfortable. And it wasn't just because of the man's shameful peeping habit or the way he tended to hit on anything young, female, and well endowed. The other reason was that Jiraiya really seemed genuinely upset that his sole surviving student no longer remembered him or liked him.

_This seal…_ He frowned and sorted through the business on his desk. _It doesn't just hurt me. It hurts everyone who knew me and cared for me._

He thought back to the ring and sighed.

* * *

Naruto anxiously hopped from one foot to the other as he waited for his chronically tardy sensei to show up. He stood by the little bridge—Team 7's little meeting spot. Sakura wasn't there, as she had failed to go on to the final round. And Sasuke wasn't around for some reason.

_But Kakashi-sensei said to meet here to start my training for the finals, _he thought fiercely. _He'd better not be super late like he usually is. I need every second of training so that I can beat Neji down! I got a promise to keep after all!_

Just thinking about the terrible beating Hinata had taken, and Neji's cruel words, and all that blood—it really fired him up!

**Yes…**

Naruto flinched and looked around frantically. _Who said that?!_

Hearing nothing else, and seeing nothing, he decided that it was his imagination, and went back to impatiently waiting.

_C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! Argh! Damn you Kakashi-sensei!_

"Yo!"

Naruto immediately locked on to his silver-haired sensei and jabbed an accusing finger. "You're late!"

"I only told you to wait for me at the usual place," Kakashi cheerfully told him. "I never gave you an exact time."

"It's almost noon!" Naruto screeched. "I don't have time to be wasting waiting for you!"

"Now, now…here's your tutor."

"My—?!" Naruto broke off in confusion and turned to see the other ninja standing beside his sensei. "_Him?!_"

It was Ebisu. The closet pervert. Konohamaru's tutor. His mother's stalker.

"You're ditching me with _him_?!"

"Naruto, Ebisu is an excellent teacher," Kakashi lightly chided. "Teaching is his personal specialty. He'll definitely be able to help you out."

"Can't you find someone else if you're not going to teach me?" Naruto whined.

"No time, I need to go pick up Sasuke." Kakashi waved cheerfully. "Bye!" And then he vanished in a puff of smoke.

It really wasn't fair. Kakashi-sensei was an awesome ninja with a Sharingan eye and a thousand jutsu at his disposal. And Ebisu…was just nowhere near as cool. And an annoying jerk who was hot on his mom, too.

Naruto scowled at the shade-wearing special jounin. "You're just doing this to score points with my mom, aren't you?"

The closet pervert straightened his glasses and cleared his throat. "Come along now, we have a lot of work to do."

The genin sighed and slunk after his tutor. _This sucks…_

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke mechanically ate his breakfast and studiously ignored the empty spaces at the table. He also avoided looking at his mother's cheerful face. He didn't understand why she did her best to pretend that nothing was wrong while in truth _everything_ was wrong.

Nearly five years ago, Itachi—his older brother, the youngest ever ANBU captain, pride and joy of the whole Uchiha clan, the greatest hope for the future—had snapped and gone on a killing spree. His _aniki_ had killed their father, every Uchiha who had awakened the Sharingan, every active Uchiha ninja, and most of the adult males within the Uchiha District. He left only their mother, the women, the elderly, and children around Sasuke's age and younger alive. And then Itachi vanished from Konoha without a trace.

The mighty Uchiha clan was now reduced to barely a quarter of its former size. The Military Police had to be disbanded because of low numbers and the clan's refusal to open membership to a larger number of non-Uchiha. And the handful of active ninja that the clan had produced were only slightly older than Sasuke—there were no adult ninja, no jounin and only two chuunin.

Sasuke set his used dishes in the sink and retreated to collect his things. Kakashi had told him to pack for a month. Apparently they would be leaving the village to train for the final phase of the Chuunin Exams.

_It's because of that strange nin—Orochimaru, Sakura said he called himself. When Kakashi heard about what happened in the Forest of Death, he got worried. Why else would he go so far as to take me outside of Konoha to teach me?_

He paused in his packing to rub at the side of his neck.

_I suppose it's a good thing that the _dobe_ managed to destroy that mark that Sakura said that the freak bit into my neck. Kakashi looked way too relieved when he just found irritated skin when he checked. Whatever that mark was, it was bad._

It really irked him that it was Naruto that he had to be thankful to. The class clown and all-around screw-up kept surprising him and he was getting tired of it. First it had been somehow achieving genin when he'd bombed the exam three times in a row. Then it had been whipping out a couple of advanced jutsus that no genin should know when the kid couldn't seem to get the basics down. And then there had been the mission to Wave where he not only knew how to climb trees with chakra (and had mercilessly taunted Sasuke about it until the Uchiha had mastered the skill), but he'd taken down Haku after Sasuke had gotten himself knocked out and turned into a human pincushion.

_And now he knows some obscure jutsu for breaking weird seals…_ Sasuke shook his head and pulled his pack over his shoulders. _Nothing about that dope makes any sense._

If Naruto already knew a chakra control exercise like tree-walking, why couldn't he manage to do a proper _Bunshin no Jutsu_ in class? And then how could he go on to master the _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_—a _jounin_-level technique—when he _still_ couldn't pull off a decent, plain old _Bunshin_? How could he not only survive Haku, but defeat him?

_If that dope manages to survive in the tournament long enough to fight me, I'll find out,_ he thought as he distractedly said farewell to his mother. _If he manages to defeat the Hyuuga, he'll definitely be worth my while to fight. And then I'll get my answers…_

* * *

Training with Ebisu sucked big time. The free lunch was cool (and a very obvious attempt to curry favor), but it was ruined by the whole lecture on chakra control. It was like being back in school, only worse, because it was Ebisu teaching instead of Iruka-sensei.

When he found out that the charka control exercise that Ebisu wanted to teach him was something he already knew how to do, he was thoroughly underwhelmed. It had been pretty funny to see the look on the guy's face when he strolled all over the boiling hot surface of the stream formed by the runoff of one of Konoha's largest public _onsen_. It was also a lot of fun to gloat that his mother had taught him how to do that when he was eleven.

Before Ebisu could recover his wits, they noticed some guy peeping through the fence at the women's bath. Ebisu—the pervert in deep denial—went crazy and tried to attack the weird, white-haired man. But his target simply called up a large toad, which used its tongue to one-hit KO the special jounin with no apparent effort.

Naruto immediately thought the guy was awesome…and then almost as quickly changed his mind as the towering man went through a weird, stupid intro…complete with a dance of some kind.

_But he said he's one of the Sannin,_ Naruto frowned as he squinted thoughtfully at the perv, who had gone back to ogling the pretty girls through a knothole in the fence. _The Sannin are supposed to be a trio of super ninja, or something. So that means he's at least as awesome as Kakashi-sensei, if not better…_

Straight out asking the guy to take over his training hadn't worked, but there were other ways to get his cooperation. The man was clearly into naked women. …Very into them. And he could use that.

He'd originally invented his…unique…style of _henge_ as a joke, and to make mastering the technique more interesting. His mother didn't really appreciate it and grounded him for two weeks after learning about it as well as forbidding him from using it in class upon pain of further grounding. Sakura-chan—and most other girls—hated it, and would smack him around if he was caught doing it.

…But they never had to know.

_Okay you weirdo Ero-Sennin!_ He ran through the seals, made the transformation, and moved into position. _You're mine!_

And so Naruto went about seducing himself a new, _better_ tutor…


	4. Broken Heart

**Chapter 3:** _  
Broken Heart_

Naruto darted through the village in the fading afternoon light. It was a little disappointing that he hadn't learned anything the first day of training, but Ero-Sennin promised that they would start something the next morning. He could barely wait.

"_Taidama_!" he squealed as he skidded through the apartment door.

"You seem to have an awful lot of energy after a day of hard training," his mother observed as she studied one of her bonsai trees critically, her tiny pruning scissors in one hand.

"Things didn't go as planned," Naruto shrugged. "But tomorrow will be better!"

She snipped a few leaves and set her scissors down. "Oh?"

"Kakashi-sensei dumped me…with _Ebisu_," Naruto explained. "But I ditched him and found a better tutor."

"Oh really?" She raised a red eyebrow. "Who?"

"This crazy old guy who says he's Jiraiya of the Sannin," Naruto shrugged. "He seems kinda stupid, but he took Ebisu out with one hit, so he's gotta be good."

His mother stared at him for a minute. "Jiraiya?" she blinked. "Long white hair, red line tattoos on his cheeks, found near a bar, brothel, or bathhouse?" At his nod, she laughed. "Hah, excellent!"

Naruto rubbed thoughtfully at the back of his head. "He seems strong enough, but he's so weird…is he really that great?"

"Yes," she snorted. "Eccentricities and bad habits aside, he's a truly excellent ninja. He was a student of the Sandaime Hokage, and he taught Yondaime-sama all his ninja skills."

"He was Yondy-sama's sensei?" Naruto gaped.

She nodded. "They used to be very close. Not long after Hokage-sama came to power, Jiraiya took to a lot of traveling and rarely returned to the village—otherwise you would've met him before."

"Awesome!" Naruto grinned. _With a teacher great enough to teach the Hokage, I'll totally beat Neji's butt! And Sasuke's, too!_

"So long as you work hard and avoid picking up his bad habits, he'll help you become a great ninja," his mom smiled.

"All right!" he cheered and pumped his fist. "I'll be Hokage in no time!"

"Well, let's worry about the Chuunin Exams first," she snorted. "And before that: dinner…"

* * *

When Naruto mentioned Jiraiya, Kushina braced herself for a visit from the self-proclaimed "super pervert." Thankfully he did not appear before, during, or after dinner. He was considerate enough to wait until Naruto was in bed before coming in through the window she'd left open for him. Or maybe his timing was a fortunate bit of chance. She really didn't want Naruto around or conscious for the inevitable talk.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Kushina focused on carefully mending the innumerable tears in Naruto's clothes. "You know better than anybody how many women popped out of the woodwork and claimed to be his secret girlfriend or lover or wife of soon-to-be-mother of his children when it came out that he had contracted some memory problems. I had no desire to be added to that list and stir up controversy and scandal and make myself a pretty little target for all of his enemies." She tied off the thread and started on a new rip. "I had an unplanned pregnancy to deal with—that became my priority. I simply didn't have enough energy to spare on anything else."

"I would've believed you. You two were friends, and you're not the type of girl who would seriously claim to be involved with someone when you really weren't." He was silent for a minute. "Why did you two keep things secret?"

"He didn't want me to become a target for his enemies, or for gossip, or for his loyal fans. And he didn't tell you because he was afraid you'd make a big deal out of him kissing a girl and losing his virginity and all that." She shrugged. "I didn't really care about any of that, but he asked me to and I didn't want people to start thinking that I wasn't as much of a tough girl because I had a boyfriend to get all mushy with. It was actually kind of fun to sneak around; exciting."

"So have you filled Minato in?"

"No."

"…Why the _hell_ not?!" he half-roared.

"Keep it down!" she snapped. "Despite the fact that my claim was legitimate, it really didn't mean anything. If I told him that we had been seeing each other and that the baby I was carrying was his, it would be no different than if a random pregnant woman had made that claim. He didn't know me, doesn't know how things were. Sure, he would've stepped up and taken care of us if I had told him and you backed me, but we would've been obligations to him. And while he might've come to love one or both of us, it was just as likely that he would come to resent us instead."

"Resent you?!" Jiraiya sputtered. "Minato wouldn't—"

"Minato wouldn't, no," she agreed, setting aside the shirt she'd been working on and moving on to a pair of pants. "But Minato never came back from that mission. A shadow of him came back; a stranger wearing his face." Kushina finally looked up at the Sannin standing in her living room. "You know it as well as I do."

The towering mountain of a man tried to protest, but slumped in defeat. He slunk over to her couch and melted into it. Kushina kept sewing.

"I suppose my childhood in Whirlpool is part of the reason I've chosen what I have," she remarked after a long silence. "Uzu was small, and every ninja counted. Birth control was frowned upon as every new baby was vital to the village's future. But ninja life was the same there as it is here, and many blew off steam by doing things like drinking, gambling, or casual sex. While it's not smiled upon to be a single mother in Konoha, it was the worst kind of social suicide in Uzu to have a baby out of wedlock. I had several friends who were 'oops babies' and I vividly remember how unhappy their homes were."

She shook her head. "I didn't want to risk that for Naruto. I would much rather he grow up with just me in a happy home, than in a home with a father and a dark cloud hanging over it."

The Sannin made no comment. Instead, he asked another question. "Why did you volunteer Naruto to be the fox's jailor?"

"Well who else was going to do it?" Kushina snorted. "Most of the only other candidates for the job were babies born of civilian parents. The old man never finished explaining what he wanted to do before they turned him down. And the few ninja selfishly told him to find some other baby. None of them had any faith in the Sandaime's brains or the future Yondaime's seals. I did. And I had faith that Naruto could handle it. He's an Uzumaki, and my son, and Minato's son—he's all kinds of tough."

She finished her sewing and packed up her needles and thread. "The situation was desperate and extreme measures were necessary. I'd already lost my birth home to Iwa, I wasn't about to lose home number two to a giant, smelly fox. And without a home, what sort of future would there be for my son?"

Jiraiya nodded in agreement, but he didn't look happy. She wasn't happy either for a whole mountain of different reasons. But that was life, and life wasn't fair…and it wasn't going to get the better of her either.

"I don't suppose that there's any way that I can convince you to enlighten Minato on Naruto's paternity?" the white-haired man sighed.

"No," she smiled with a bit of forced cheer. "And I would very much appreciate it if you joined Kakashi in keeping your mouth shut about it."

"Kakashi knows too?"

"Yeah," she nodded and settled back in her chair. "He confronted me about it after encountering a two-year-old Naruto. He was most curious to know why my son looked even more like the Hokage than he did as a newborn."

"Has Minato ever asked about Naruto's parentage or why the kid looks so much like him?" Jiraiya asked. "Has he even seen Naruto much since the sealing?"

"He sees Naruto all the time. Naruto's a genin now so he sees the Hokage for missions, and I work as the Hokage's assistant so he hung around the office all the time before making genin. As for Yondaime-sama asking about Naruto's origins…" She frowned and shook her head. "I have no idea why he doesn't ask. Almost every day I expect him to turn to me and bring it up, but he doesn't."

"And no one else notices the resemblance?" the Sannin frowned.

"Apparently not," she shrugged. "But then again, most people don't even see a human boy when they look at him—all they see is the demon." She snarled a little. "Ignorant, bigoted assholes…"

"Ah…"

"Anyway," Kushina smirked and leaned forward in her chair. "I hear that you're training Naruto for the final round. What do you plan on teaching him to do?"

"I plan on teaching him how to consciously draw on the demon's chakra," Jiraiya informed her. "He's done it at least once unconsciously. Now he needs to know how to do it on purpose."

The idea made her uneasy, but Jiraiya was Minato's teacher and a master of seals. If anything went wrong, he would be able to handle it. And if anything went wrong, she knew how to find him and how to beat him up.

"How do you plan on getting him to do that?" she asked curiously.

"I'm going to let him sign the contract with the toads," he replied. "Summoning takes a lot of chakra. If I wear him out and then have him try to summon, he'll have to get power from the fox if he wants to get more than a tadpole."

"…You're letting him on the contract?"

Summoning contracts weren't passed around like candy. They were carefully guarded by the most senior summoner and shared only with the best of the best students. Being allowed to sign such a contract was a rare and high honor, and something twelve-year-olds generally weren't allowed to do.

"Sure," he grinned. "He's the child of my greatest student! He'll do fine."

"Alright," she sighed. "Just be careful. Minato told me about the first time he managed to summon Gamabunta. It sounded pretty crazy."

"No worries," the Sannin chuckled. Seemingly rejuvenated after all the depressing talk, he hopped up from the couch and started for the open window to make his exit. With his foot on the sill, he hesitated. "Tell me, where did you get the brat's name from?"

"Pregnant women can't really do anything, so I spent most of my time reading stuff," Kushina shrugged. "So I ended up reading that first book you wrote—you know, the _good _one that isn't dripping with sex. That's where I got the name."

Jiraiya looked dumbfounded. "…Really?"

"Yeah." Her eyes drifted to the blue-carpeted floor. "I just thought…after reading it that if Minato was…himself…he'd want to steal that name since the story was so good and the character so realistic and admirable, and since you wrote the book to begin with."

"He would…if he was himself."

Kushina looked up—and found that Jiraiya had departed.

And left the window open.

Rolling her eyes, she shut the window and gathered up the clothes that she'd finished fixing. Careful not to wake him, she carried the small pile of clothes into Naruto's room and put them in their proper drawers. Before she left, she took a moment to watch him peacefully sleep in the dim light that seeped in through his cracked door.

_Sleep well baby. Tomorrow you learn to summon toads like your father. And hopefully you'll take your first step in taming that mean old fox, too…_

* * *

The Yondaime was unpleasantly surprised to find Jiraiya in his bedroom when he got out of the shower. The Sannin was casually strolling around the room, glancing around with mild curiosity. The Hokage dropped the hand towel he'd been rubbing at his freshly-shaved face with over the velvet ring box that he'd left out on the nightstand before confronting the intruder.

"Can I help you?"

"Nice room, but not much personality to it," Jiraiya remarked.

"This is an official, historical residence," the Yondaime frowned. "It's not my house. I don't feel comfortable altering it."

"You should get a girlfriend. Women have a knack for decorating a house and making it feel homey."

The young Hokage felt distinctly uncomfortable and did his best not to think of his assistant. "I don't have time to date," he replied stiffly. "Especially not now with the exams going on."

"Hmm…" The white-haired Sannin leaned against one of the bed posts and eyed him speculatively. "I heard that you found yourself a permanent, _female_ assistant…"

"I'm not going to date her," the blonde nearly growled.

The older man arched an eyebrow. "I wasn't going to suggest you do that. But since you brought it up, why not?"

"She's my subordinate," he muttered through clenched teeth as his face heated in embarrassment. "It would be inappropriate. She also has a son, indicating a serious prior relationship with someone else."

"Well yeah," the Sannin frowned. "People rarely find The One with the first person they date, or the first person they sleep with. Just because she has a kid doesn't mean she's untouchable. If she's not married, a grieving widow, or involved with someone else, she's fair game you know."

The Yondaime was appalled at the teacher he couldn't remember. "I'm going to pretend that you didn't say that."

"Touchy, aren't we?" Jiraiya muttered. "Anyway, I ran into her kid, which is how I found out about your little assistant in the first place. Interesting brat. Looks an awful lot like you."

"That he does," the Hokage agreed and moved to his closet to dig out a fresh flak vest and flame-trimmed long jacket.

"He looks so much like you, you'd think he was your kid, too."

"I certainly wouldn't mind if he was, but he isn't. Kushina-san would've told me if he was. And besides," he glanced over his shoulder briefly at his ex-sensei, "you and Kakashi-san both agree that I never had a serious relationship with anyone."

"We could've been wrong," he shrugged. "Unlikely, but possible."

"If he was mine, she would've said so," the Yondaime muttered. "Now was there anything important you had to tell me?"

"No, nothing to report. I was just killing time and curious." The man saluted and strolled to the window. "Now I've got an appointment with a potential student to keep."

The Yondaime frowned and was about to ask about it, but the Sannin had already vanished. Shaking his head, he hoped that whoever this potential student was he (or she) did not pick up Jiraiya's stack of bad habits. One Jiraiya was bad enough, Konoha didn't need any more.

Shoving aside the conversation, he uncovered the ring box and stashed it away in the nightstand drawer. He'd never shown the ring to Kakashi or Jiraiya. It was childish and stupid and probably a little selfish, but he wanted to keep just one secret from them. They knew him better than he knew himself now, and he found that uncomfortably intimate. This one secret helped a bit.

_Breakfast, and then off to the office…_

* * *

The great Jiraiya peered through the brush and appreciatively eyed his prey. A handful of decently endowed young beauties in pretty little bikinis frolicked in a shallow pool near a small waterfall. And they had no idea that he was watching.

"Darn it!"

The Sannin growled and peered over his shoulder to see his potential apprentice glaring at yet another dinky tadpole.

"Keep it down, would you? I'm researching!" Jiraiya hissed.

"Stupid perv," he heard Naruto mutter as he flicked the tadpole into a nearby creek and went about trying it again.

Jiraiya ignored the comment and went back to ogling the bathing beauties. Watching pretty girls giggle and splash each other was a great deal more pleasant than thinking about all the things going wrong. Much more pleasant, indeed.

_There's Orochimaru and whatever he's planning. There's this new ninja group: Oto. There's the usual worries of the exams._

_…And there are two stubborn idiots that I want to smack some real sense into!_

Kushina refused to risk her heart and fight for her man, choosing instead to let his ignorance rule their relationship. Minato foolishly buried whatever attraction he felt for her out of some misguided sense of duty and politeness and idiotically overlooked the glaring evidence of his former relationship. Damn idiots, the both of them!

_I am going to block their chakra and lock them in a closet!_

But not now. Now was time for the exams. Minato had a village a run and a tournament to oversee. Kushina had to help him. And he himself had a kid to prepare…

_After the exams,_ he resolved. _When things settle, I will get them to hook back up if it's the last thing I do!_

"Damn!" Naruto cursed as he summoned yet another useless tadpole.

_But first things first, get this baka to summon Gamabunta!_

He peered over his shoulder and scowled at Naruto scowling at the flopping proto-toad.

_…This is going to take a while._


	5. Broken Silence

**Chapter 4:** _  
Broken Silence_

Kushina polished her kunai and shuriken in a rather grim state of mind. This exam was shaping up to be the worst Konoha Chuunin Exam in her memory—perhaps the worst _ever_. And it was only looking to get worse.

First there had been Orochimaru infiltrating the Forest of Death and interfering with Naruto's team. Then there had been several excessively bloody preliminary matches—Hyuuga Neji's brutal beating of his own cousin and Sabaku no Gaara's near-murder of Rock Lee. Now people were turning up dead.

Less than half a week after the preliminaries, two murder victims turned up. One was Dosu, the lone Oto-genin who had advanced to the final round. He had been crushed and torn so badly that he was barely recognizable. The other had been the proctor of the preliminaries and the intended proctor of the final round—Gekko Hayate. The Konoha-nin had either been cut up by a sharp blade, or a concentrated _Fuuton_ attack. The timing and close proximity of both killings made them even more suspicious, and ratcheted up the tension to a nerve-fraying level.

_Something bad is coming,_ she frowned. _Something really big and really bad. And it has Orochimaru's name all over it. …Damn snake!_

She'd never liked the other male member of the Sannin, even when he'd been a "good guy." He was creepy and cold-blooded and ambitious and freakishly smart. She hadn't been the least bit surprised when it came out that he'd experimented on live human subjects and Konoha citizens. She had been quite glad to see him go, but would've preferred that he be killed or hunted down. Leaving him alive was just a recipe for future trouble.

Kushina really hated being right sometimes.

Carefully packing away her deadly weapons, she turned to watch her son distractedly eat his cup ramen.

Every day he dragged himself home—or was dropped off after passing out cold—filthy and exhausted. His fingertips were raw from chewing on them to get the fresh blood necessary to perform the _Kuchiyose no Jutsu_. The next morning he would be ready and raring to go as the demon fox fully healed his fingers and replenished his chakra, but she knew that he was getting frustrated and increasingly desperate. It had been two weeks since he started training, and there were only two weeks left before he had to fight Neji.

"So Naruto, how are things going?"

Her son pouted into his noodles. "Nowhere fast," he sulked. "Ero-Sennin says I have to burn off my chakra so that I can get at the red chakra easier, but when I try to summon all I get are tadpoles! The closest I ever got to a toad was a tadpole with dinky back legs and little nubby front legs."

Kushina hummed thoughtfully and drummed her fingertips on the kitchen table.

Uzugakure no Sato had no ninja school. Educating future ninja was handled by ninja clans and families. And as a foreigner, she really didn't know much about Konoha's history. So when Naruto was enrolled in the Ninja Academy and started bringing home homework, she felt as lost as he did most times.

But when it came to helping him learn taijutsu and ninjutsu, she was more in her element. It quickly became apparent to her that the Academy instructors either didn't care to properly teach her son, or even tried to subtly sabotage his education. She actually had to tell Naruto to ignore what his taijutsu instructor was teaching him because the man was obviously coaching him improperly, setting him up to be killed quickly and painfully in his first real fight.

Naruto's difficulties with ninjutsu were more complicated, stemming just as much from instructor neglect as chakra control problems created by the presence of the fox. She had to be more aggressive with this aspect of his training, teaching him more advanced exercises to help refine his control. By age ten, he could climb trees with chakra and bounce through the branches with the skill of a chuunin. Just after turning eleven, he could not only walk on water, but he could fight on it. And for his twelfth birthday, she taught him the _Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu_, partly out of frustration of his inability to perform the basic _Bunshin no Jutsu_.

Now that he'd hit a brick wall in his current training, he needed her help again. Or at least give him a nudge or two in a new direction. Just trying the jutsu the same way over and over again simply wasn't getting him anywhere.

"Naruto, do you know where the red chakra comes from?"

The boy chewed on the ends of his chopsticks for a minute while he pondered this. "The…fox?"

"Yes," she nodded. "And how have you been trying to get it?"

"After I use up most of my chakra on other jutsus, I…I try to reach deeper to get more." He frowned. "I never find any."

Kushina studied him for a minute, and then stole his half-eaten ramen and held the cup over his head. "I've stolen your ramen. You can't reach it, you can't beat me to get it back, so what do you do?"

"Wah!" Naruto wailed. "My ramen!"

She pinned him to his seat with her free hand and held the instant ramen cup higher. "What do you do?"

"I…" Kushina fought not to smile as she watched the little gears turning behind her son's eyes. "I beg."

"That would work with me," she agreed, and returned the food. "But that is not what you do with the fox. You talk to it, you ask, but you _do not beg_. The demon is your prisoner, and he is ultimately bound to you. What affects you, will affect him—that's why he heals you and refreshes your chakra so quickly when you exhaust it." Kushina gave him a serious look. "Do you see?"

"I think so," Naruto frowned. "But…how will I talk to the fox?"

"While you are two separate beings, you share the same body. You should be able to speak to him in your own mind. The trick is figuring out how to get into contact with him."

She twirled a red lock of hair around her finger as she considered the problem.

"Why don't you try some of the meditative memory-retrieval techniques you learned in the Academy for recalling mission details?" she suggested. "If you can use those strategies for poking around the insides of your own mind, you could find the corner where you can talk to the many-tailed furball." Then she shrugged. "And if that doesn't work, ask Jiraiya for some suggestions."

"He's not much help," Naruto huffed. "I keep trying to summon and he won't give me any tips when I mess up!"

"Are you asking specific questions?" Kushina inquired. "And just so you know, 'what am I doing wrong?' doesn't count."

"No," he pouted.

"Well try that, then," she grinned. "Part of his teaching style is to help you learn to teach yourself and learn how to think. Once you can do that, you can learn advanced techniques from scrolls without the help of a teacher and even discover your own techniques. It will help you be a better, smarter ninja."

"Okay," he muttered dubiously.

"Go to bed and sleep on it," Kushina smiled and patted him on his head. "Make up your mind tomorrow."

Her son sighed, finished his soup, and did as she suggested.

Once he had vanished into his room, she frowned worriedly.

_If he does manage to contact the fox, I hope he's careful…_

* * *

Naruto sat on the gravelly bank of the stream and scowled. Ero-Sennin was busy peeping on the girls enjoying the summer weather at the waterfall. He'd just finished wasting chakra on scores of _Kage Bunshin_ and it seemed like the start of another dead-end day of training.

_But today I'm going to try something new._

His mom had a good idea. Blindly digging for the red chakra and trying to steal it wasn't working. So he would try talking.

But he had to be careful. After breakfast, his mom had warned him about talking to the fox. The demon couldn't enjoy being confined inside a human prison and would surely try to trick him.

_"You are the warden. It is your responsibility to keep your prisoner locked up and under control. Be wary of any deal he tries to offer you. Look underneath the underneath. And always remember: You are the boss."_

Naruto folded his arms over his chest, closed his eyes, and got to work. He focused inward, focused on the flow of his own chakra, and tried to find anything unusual or special. If he could just locate the source of the red chakra…

* * *

_Apparently, the inside of his head was a forest. But it was like no forest he was familiar with. The trees were mostly the same giant size as those he'd encountered in the Forest of Death, and all of them looked hollow with various shadowy openings. And there were large mossy vines draped over the tree branches and the leafy ground._

_Some looked kinda blue…and some looked red._

_"Weird…"_

_Not sure how to proceed, he aimlessly followed the tangled pathways of the vines. Some parts of his forest were bright and open—happy places. Others were dark and gloomy and threatening._

_Naruto paused in his explorations and came to a spot where there were some red and blue vines in close proximity. When he touched the blue vine, it felt like when he touched and molded his own chakra. But the red vine seemed to feel too warm and prickled his hand._

_"Since I'm looking for red chakra…" He frowned and poked at the red vine. "Maybe I should see where these funny vines come from."_

_It seemed like a good idea. So he sought a source for the vines. He traced them as they bunched together and got thicker and thicker…and found them growing out of a pile of rocks._

_Circling the rocks, he found a dark, cave-like opening. Beyond the opening, he found a dark tunnel dimly lit by an eerie red glow. And when he went down the tunnel, he came to a vast underground cave chamber._

_The red vines covered the walls and ceiling, poking out through various cracks and crevices. The floor was covered in small puddles and he heard water dripping somewhere. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, stalagmites jutted up from the floor, and at the back of the chamber were a pair of massive, intricate golden gates held closed by a tiny piece of plain paper with the kanji for "seal" inked on it._

_It made him think of a dungeon._

_"I found it," he whispered to himself._

_Swallowing nervously, Naruto crept right up to the giant cage doors and peered through the narrow gaps in the bars. He saw nothing but endless darkness. It didn't look like anything was in there, but there had to be._

_"Hello?" he called, hearing his voice echo a little in the cavernous place._

_Silence._

_"I know you're in there, Fox!" he shouted. "Show yourself! It's time we had a talk."_

_A pair of gigantic red eyes snapped open and Naruto felt like he almost broke his own neck trying to look back far enough to see them—they towered so high above his head. There was an ear-shattering roar and a huge hand-like paw shot out from the darkness to slam into the golden bars. Naruto yelped and staggered backwards as the tips of huge sharp claws tried to squeeze through the gaps to pierce him, but the doors held fast and didn't budge so much as a millimeter._

_Recovering his wits and taking courage from the strength of the doors and the dinky seal that held them closed, Naruto marched back up to the bars and boldly kicked them. "Knock it off you! Is that any way to say hello?"_

**"Wretched mortal worm,"**_ the fox snarled. _**"If not for these bars, I would devour you in an instant! Release me at once!"**

_"How dumb do you think I am?" Naruto scowled. "No way!"_

_The fox let out a hiss that sounded like a burst steam pipe. _**"If you remove that seal and let me free, I will give you more power than your weak mortal mind can imagine."**

_Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and scowled up at the demon. "Is that supposed to tempt me?"_

**"Isn't power what all humans want?"**_ the fox rumbled._** "My power is limitless, and as a reward for setting me free I will share some with you."**

_"So let me get this straight… I let you out and you give me power…"_

**"Exactly."**

_"And then you'll do whatever you want and smash the village while you're at it."_

**"So?"**_ the demon growled._** "Why should you care? Your wretched village despises you. They would gladly see you dead."**

_The fox was right. The village in general despised his existence. His mother had done her best to give him a normal childhood and shield him from the prejudice and hatred directed towards him. She claimed that people disliked her because she was an unmarried foreigner and only looked down on him because he was her son. But it never quite fit in his mind, and then Mizuki-sensei had blown that excuse out of the water._

_"Sure they hate me," Naruto shrugged. "They hate me…because of you."_

**"Release me, and they will no longer hate you for containing me."**

_"And then they'll just hate me for letting you out. No matter what you promise me, if I let you out, I lose." Naruto snorted. "And once you're free of me, why would have you to keep any promise you make? What's to stop you from just killing me?"_

_The fox roared. _**"When I make a promise, I keep it! …Unless I am betrayed."**

_"Whatever you say," Naruto shrugged. "I didn't come looking for you to hear about promises."_

**"Then why have you come?"**

_"I want to talk about your chakra."_

**"So you do seek power…"**

_Naruto glared at his prisoner. "You owe me rent."_

_The fox snorted incredulously. _**"Rent?"**

_"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "You've been hiding inside my body and free-loading my whole life. It's time to start paying."_

**"I did not ask to be here!"**_ the demon howled._ **"That old man imprisoned me within you!"**

_"Well I didn't volunteer for this either," Naruto shrugged._

**"I heal your wounds and replenish your puny strength,"**_ the demon hissed. _**"I owe you nothing."**

_"You'd do that anyway, because anything that threatens me, threatens you. If I go, you go with me. I want real rent."_

**"How dare you!"**

_"I don't see what the big deal is," Naruto frowned. "It's not like you have anything better to do in here."_

_The feeling of killing intent, which had already been unreal the moment the red eyes became visible, now spiked even higher. Naruto felt like his skin was trying to crawl off his body and run away and his bones turn to mush. But he stood firm, reminding himself that the fox couldn't get past the bars and do anything worse than refuse him._

_"All I want is easy access to a bit of your chakra," Naruto explained, struggling to keep his voice even. "You already let me have some when I fought Haku and in the Forest of Death. Would it really be so much trouble to make it so that I could get that much of your chakra without being in danger of dying or being so furious? It seems like a pretty fair rent to me, considering how difficult you've made my life."_

_The fox snarled and the malicious intent grew stronger. Naruto forced himself to stay standing right in front of the cage and not cringe or shrink. He kept his hands folded to hide the shaking of his hands._

_"All I want is the level of chakra that you gave me in Wave Country," he repeated. "The only way I would ever ask for more is if I were in danger of dying. I probably wouldn't even use your chakra that much; I'd much rather depend on only my own strength."_

**"Such a small amount of chakra?"**_ the demon hissed at last._ **"I could give you more."**

_"I want to build my own strength," Naruto declared. "And I admit your chakra is potent and hard to deal with. I don't think I'm old enough and experienced enough to really handle much more without freaking out."_

**"Wise of you to acknowledge your limits,"**_ the fox rumbled, and the atmosphere lightened somewhat. _**"Wise of you to not be greedy. Tell me, Naruto-kun, what is your ambition?"**

_"To be Hokage," Naruto answered automatically. "To be respected, and prove to the village that I am not you by protecting them instead of destroying them. To be strong, and protect those precious to me. That is my ambition, my dream."_

**"Hmm…"**_ The giant red eyes narrowed in deep thought._ **"A most interesting desire you have. If you could achieve it… You would be powerful, your enemies would fear you, and all would respect you. If I must be imprisoned, such a vessel would be worthy of me."**_ The red bestial eyes lowered until they were almost level with his much smaller form._ **"If you can achieve this ambition of yours, all my power will be at your disposal."**_ The demon's lips peeled back in a feral smile, revealing an immense maw of pointed teeth._ **"If you assist me in slaying my great enemy, my power will be yours all the sooner."**

_The idea that the Kyuubi had a "great enemy" made Naruto shiver. Who or what could be so powerful and nasty to have the king of demon beasts after him?_

_"That would depend on who your enemy is," Naruto answered cautiously. "And it'll probably be years before I could take one powerful enough to be your enemy on."_

**"True, very true,"**_ the fox grumbled._** "But do not worry. My enemy is your enemy and the enemy of all you seek to achieve and protect."**_ The demon straightened up to once again loom over his tiny form._ **"Your boldness amuses me. Your ambition pleases me. And so I shall grant your humble request for power and pay your foolish 'rent.'"**

_A rush of red chakra poured through the bars and flowed around and into Naruto._

_"Kyaa!"_

**"Use it wisely, Naruto-kun."**

* * *

Naruto's eyes snapped open and he found himself still sitting on the stream bank. But now he had the red chakra boiling under his skin. Jumping to his feet, he bit through the pad of his thumb with a sharp tooth, made the necessary hand seals, and slapped down his right hand.

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!_"

Black seal marks spread from under his palm, there was a puff of white smoke—

He shot upwards so fast he stumbled and almost fell off! When the smoke cleared, he was sprawled on the broad, red-brown, warty head of a toad so massive it loomed over the nearby trees! Naruto felt weak and kinda wobbly, but his feeling of triumph overshadowed it all.

"Alright!" he cheered, staggering to his feet and jumping up and down. "I did it!"

**"What?"** the huge toad grumbled and glanced around in confusion. **"How did I get here?"**

"I summoned you, of course!" Naruto laughed.

The toad tossed his head and the boy wailed as he found himself thrown. He managed to catch hold of the clay pipe that dangled from the corner of the huge amphibian's wide mouth. And Naruto found himself under the intense scrutiny of a different kind of animal eye.

**"Who are you?"**

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I've signed the toad contract!" he declared.

After staring down the king of demons, dealing with a cranky old toad was no sweat!

**"Have you now?"** the toad sneered, thoroughly unimpressed. **"I am Gamabunta, chief of my clan. I will not fight for just anyone; signing the contract is not enough. Pass my test and prove your worth to me!"**

Naruto's high of success wavered and started to fade a bit. "Your test?" He frowned and hopped up to balance on the stem of Gamabunta's pipe. "Bring it on!"

**"Bold words,"** the toad croaked. **"We shall see how defiant you are after my test, if you can even complete it. You'd better hold on tight, because if you fall and touch the ground even once before the sun sinks behind the horizon, you will fail."**

It was still early in the day, and the summer sun stayed long in the sky. He doubted there would be any breaks, so no lunch and no dinner. And somehow he didn't think the toad was just going to sit still and try his patience as a test.

But there was no way that Naruto was going to back down. He was going to prove to this cranky old toad that he was a ninja to be reckoned with. Scowling in determination he leapt off the pipe, bounced on Gamabunta's head, and slid down his back to cling to the collar of his blue vest.

"Let's do this!"

And then Gamabunta lunged upwards so hard that Naruto thought his arms were going to pop out of their sockets. The huge toad seemed to hang in the air for a second high above the forest before plummeting back to earth with a dizzying flip thrown in. As soon as his webbed feet touched earth, Gamabunta was off again, racing along the ground in massive leaps and taking as many sharp turns as possible, doing his absolute best to dislodge the genin clinging to his clothing.

Then the toad spotted a nearby lake, and jumped for it.

_Stupid Ero-Sennin! You didn't tell me that I had to do this! When this test is over, I'm gonna kick your stupid, pervy ass! And then I'm telling mom on you!_

"Argh!"

**KER-SPLASH!**


	6. Broken Clan

**Chapter 5:** _  
Broken Clan_

The Yondaime unhappily trekked out of the Tower and out into the village. Normally a nice walk every now and then was a refreshing change of pace—a break from the bureaucracy and politicking. But in this particular instance, he had a little unpleasant errand to run.

When he reached the _onsen_ it wasn't hard to locate his target. The white-haired man was crouched in the shade by the fence, and clearly peering in through a knothole at the bathing women beyond. He would've liked to alert the poor women to his presence, but unfortunately the Hokage needed to have some questions answered and that couldn't happen if Jiraiya was being cursed at and chased off.

"Jiraiya-sama," he muttered. "I received multiple complaints about a giant, rampaging toad on the outskirts of the village yesterday. Care to explain that?"

"I didn't summon him," the Sannin answered innocently.

"Well neither did I," the Hokage scowled. "And according to you: you and I are the only ones able to summon toads. So how did the toad get here?"

"Yes, we were the only ones able to call upon the toad clan," Jiraiya nodded. "Now there is a _third_ summoner. Gamabunta was testing him out."

"A third?" the Yondaime blinked. "Who did you let sign the contract?"

"That prospective student I mentioned before," the lecher grinned. "He didn't pass, unfortunately; but damn did he get close! If he'd held on for five more minutes he would've done it." He shrugged. "Oh well, he'll get it next time for sure."

"Who is this kid?" the blonde shinobi frowned. "You never mentioned a name."

"Uzumaki Naruto, of course!" the older man grinned widely. Then his smile faltered for a moment. "Little brat tricked me into it, actually…" His smile speedily returned. "But it's all worked out! Been rather fun, really. Worthy students are just so hard to find…"

The Hokage barely heard everything else that came after Naruto's name. His first instinct was to separate Jiraiya from the boy to keep Naruto clear of the Sannin's undesirable habits. But…he sat on that impulse and held his tongue.

It had been two weeks since Naruto had started training under this man. He only had two weeks left until the third and final phase of the exam. Even if he had an appropriate ninja to spare as a replacement trainer, it was silly to change teachers at this point. And if Naruto _wanted_ to study under Jiraiya…

"Naruto _tricked_ you into teaching him?" the Yondaime asked.

Jiraiya sighed. "Brat got me to promise to help him," he pouted and muttered something that sounded like: _sneaky little bastard_—but the Yondaime couldn't be sure. "But like I said, it's all worked out!"

"Is his mother aware that you are his tutor?" the Hokage inquired dubiously.

"Of course!" the Sannin huffed. "I met with her right after the first day. I know better than to cross that woman." He shivered. "Only Tsunade-hime is scarier."

The blonde man blinked. "…You know Kushina-san?"

"Sure!" The lecher paused, then put his little notebook into his pocket and strolled leisurely away from the bathhouse fence. "She was a friend of yours, back in the day."

The Yondaime nearly tripped as he hurried to follow. "What?"

"You two first met when you were only genin," the Sannin cheerfully explained. "She was a tomboy back then—dressed like a boy, acted like a boy, wore her hair short like a boy. I guess you thought that she _was_ a boy and she got all offended and punched you in the face and broke your nose."

"What?!" The idea that he'd insulted her, even if inadvertently, made him cringe.

"No worries," the older man laughed. "She's forgiven you since then; she wouldn't work so hard for you if she hadn't. Forgive and forget—and in your case, you _really_ forgot!"

"That's not funny," the Hokage snapped. He sighed and jammed his hands into his pockets. "Why didn't you mention her before? Her name never came up once when you were 'reminding' me who all my friends were."

"I never claimed to be perfect or infallible," Jiraiya sniffed. "She slipped my mind. And it didn't help any that she laid low for the entire period between you coming back as an amnesiac and the Kyuubi's advance on the village. I didn't see her so I didn't remember her so I didn't mention her."

The younger man grew pensive. "She never said anything to me…"

"You would have to ask her about that," the Sannin shrugged. He turned to his former student and was suddenly dead-serious. "She's a good girl. I'm glad that she's found her way to your side. You can trust her with anything."

Jiraiya's serious and sincere endorsement of his assistant thoroughly swept away the few struggling seeds of doubt that Danzou and various others constantly sought to plant in his mind about her. He didn't care for the Sannin personally, but his advice (excepting _romantic_ advice) was always sound and honest. The young Hokage had no doubt that Jiraiya meant every bit of what he said about her, and he was almost certainly right—especially since Kakashi also seemed to trust her without complaint or question.

"Alright," the Yondaime nodded. "Not to interfere with your training of Naruto, but could you please avoid summoning large toads and causing such havoc for the time being?"

"Certainly," the Sannin agreed. "A second attempt at Gamabunta's test can wait until after the exams. Once he recovers from that little romp yesterday, I'll see what his elemental affinity is and we'll go on from there."

"Thank you," the Hokage sighed and shifted his direction back towards the tower.

"Have fun with your paperwork!" Jiraiya called after him.

The blonde shinobi was too distracted to respond.

_Why didn't she say anything?_

* * *

Kushina fiddled with the coffee machine in the jounin lounge with a scowl on her face. The next time she ran into Jiraiya, she was going to stomp on his foot as hard as she could. She really hated being right sometimes.

_Jiraiya laughs off my worries about Naruto and summoning and what happens? Naruto turns up at the frigging hospital, that's what!_ She savagely stirred in a sugar cube and one of those little creamer things. _Normally it only takes Naruto a good night's sleep to bounce back from chakra exhaustion…but I went to see him first thing today and he's __**still**__ out cold…_

…Maybe she'd give Jiraiya a knee to the groin, too.

Snorting angrily, she grabbed the coffee-filled Styrofoam cup and headed for the Hokage's office. He'd gone out for some reason just before she'd made it to the tower from the hospital. When he came back, he'd find his coffee waiting for him on his desk and know that she was on the job.

But just after she placed the steaming cup on his desk and turned to leave he trudged through the office doors. He looked so deep in troubled thought that at first he didn't notice her. It was only after he'd sat down in his chair and noticed the coffee that he looked up to see her standing near his desk and watching him.

He swallowed hard and dropped his gaze to his coffee. "Good morning…"

"Morning." She frowned at his rather despondent mood. "What's wrong?"

"I…went to talk to Jiraiya-sama," he answered hesitantly. "There were some complaints about a large toad…"

_I'll bet…_ "Did something upsetting come up?"

"He mentioned knowing you." The Hokage timidly glanced at her. "He said…that I knew you…before."

_That's it; he's totally getting kneed in the crotch!_ "…Yes? You knew a lot of people before. What makes me any different?"

"You never said anything," he answered with a wounded look. "Jiraiya-sama said that you were my friend, but you never said a word about it."

_…Jiraiya, I am going to __**castrate**__ you!_ "With your memory the way it is, it's like you've started over completely fresh. I decided to approach you as a stranger and start over." She tucked some loose hair behind her ear. "It seemed easier. Do you really enjoy simply being told that you know someone and should trust them when you have no memory of them or feeling for them? Isn't it better to get to know someone and come to trust them yourself?"

"I…I suppose so," he reluctantly agreed. "But I would've liked to know, at some point."

"Well, now you know," she smiled faintly. "And isn't it at least a little better this way—now that you know me and you've decided that you like me?"

The Yondaime started in surprise, and then dropped his eyes away from her as his face flushed a light pink.

Kushina blinked.

Sometimes, the Hokage would grow uncomfortable or become shy. She couldn't always pinpoint the cause, but it usually happened when he was confronted by his female admirers. Whenever she saw it happen, it made her think of a timid little schoolboy—not a powerful shinobi and respected village leader.

And at this particular moment, he seemed very much the timid little schoolboy…with a crush.

A startled, desperate hope surged up to choke her. It had seemed like such a fluke that Minato had developed a more-than-friendly interest in her, that when it became clear that his memory would never return she had entertained no real hope that he could possibly become attracted to her again. After all, she wasn't terribly feminine, she wasn't really pretty—there were so many more women more desirable than she was.

And yet—

_Stop it!_ she thought viciously. _Stop it, stop it, stop it!_

It was stupid to think about such things. It was dangerous. She could not afford to be the reckless kunoichi that she had once been.

He could just be embarrassed by her wording, by the insinuation that he particularly cared for her. Any expression of romantic interest made him uncomfortable. It was probably worse coming from a woman so close to him—one he trusted to _not_ pursue him as the majority of the female population did.

And if—_if_—he actually _did_ harbor some attraction to her, it was a crush. An infatuation. A strong admiration. It was not love.

Should she dare to try and reclaim even a glimmer of what once was, her enemies would seek to use it against her. There were several people—not just Danzou, he was just the most vocal—who did not like her close relationship with the Hokage. They would happily churn out rumors and stir up as much scandal as they could to remove her from the Yondaime's side.

And now was simply not the time. The Hokage could not be afford to be distracted by something so silly when the exams were going on, and neither could she. With tensions so high, with threats so real and close, everything else simply had to wait. The safety of the village overshadowed all else.

"Y-yes," he managed at last, pulling her from her musings. "It…it is a little better." He gave her a shy, innocent smile. "Thank you."

And he was innocent—as innocent as a child. He had no memory of kissing or sexual intimacy. He had no memory of going out on missions or killing men with his own hands. Sure, women made all sorts of racy propositions to him; sure, he sent men to kill and be killed. But it was not the same as directly doing these things.

In many ways, he was more innocent than her own genin son.

She managed a bright, cheery smile. "You're very welcome, Hokage-sama. Now why don't you enjoy your coffee while I could make sure that the decryption department isn't having a paper airplane contest again?"

"Alright," he laughed and waved her off, dismissing her.

Kushina turned and left, keeping the happy expression on her face…until she was safely out the door.

_The life of a ninja is one of sacrifice,_ she reminded herself as she went about her rounds of keeping the various paper-pushing departments in line. _For my son, for my Hokage, for my village—I will sacrifice anything. My heart does not matter._

* * *

When she was gone, he sipped at his coffee and sighed.

_Now I understand how she can make such great coffee. If she knew me before, she would know how I liked to drink it._

He felt warm, and his drink had nothing to do with it. Even though she had only been teasing him about liking her, it had stirred up the secret longing in him that he buried and denied. And no matter how he tried to rebury his desire, it would not go.

_I think…I think that I…am in love with my assistant,_ he admitted to himself—torn between misery and despair, and warm electric excitement.

In the beginning, she was simply a relief. All his previous (and very short-lived) assistants had practically worshipped him. The female assistants had been the worst; more interested in trying to date him than help him manage things. But Kushina-san had been different.

She respected him, but she didn't treat him as if he was made of glass or revere the ground he walked on. If she thought he was being silly, _she would tell him so_; sometimes she'd even _hit him_ (gently). He was the Hokage, but he was not some god far above her. She treated him like a person.

It was only after years of working with her—and after becoming rather attached to her son—that his gratitude deepened into something else. The shift inside him had been so subtle that it wasn't until he'd caught himself daydreaming about kissing her and seriously contemplating what it would feel like that he'd noticed it. Frightened and uncertain, he'd found as many reasons as he could to not try anything with her.

He was her boss, her superior. It didn't seem appropriate to date her; people like Danzou certainly didn't seem to approve her even working for him in the first place. And as he was her boss, she might feel obligated to give him what he wanted regardless of her own feelings.

She had a son, which meant that she had had a relationship with a man. It wasn't his business—the activities that led to a child were solely the business of the man and woman involved—so he didn't ask. As he'd never seen her with any man, he could only assume that he was gone; whether it was through an ended relationship or death he had no clue. Because this mysterious liaison had produced a child, he was certain that the relationship had been a strong, romantic one. And so what right did he have to try and replace Naruto's father in her heart?

And there was that ring he had. What if there was some other woman out there, waiting for him to remember her? What if one of the ladies that Jiraiya and Kakashi had turned away as a fraud was actually genuine? Should he just abandon that girl to chase someone new?

For a moment, he hesitantly considered the idea that the Sannin had insinuated; that Naruto was _his_ son. He and the boy did look strikingly similar. And if she had failed to ever tell them that they had known each other previously, then she wouldn't have told him this either…

The Hokage groaned and rested the side of his face on the cool wood of his desk. _Should I really be thinking about this? I'm only confusing myself…_

And he was starting to get a headache.

"Hokage-sama?"

He sat up to find one of the chuunin that was on an administrative rotation peering at him with concern as the young man deposited more paperwork on the desk.

"I'm alright," he smiled weakly. "Just a little headache."

The chuunin nodded and left the office.

The Yondaime stared at the stack of papers and sighed.

_I can't be thinking about this now; I have work to do. There are exams to oversee, this new Oto group to figure out, Orochimaru is around, and Suna seems to be up to something. Trouble—real trouble—is imminent. I need to focus on this. Everything else can wait._

_…I will have more than enough time to figure out my own problems after the exams._

* * *

Uchiha Mikoto knelt on her kitchen floor and scrubbed at some stubborn stains. She tried not to think about bloodstains or how long and gruesome it had been to clean up the Uchiha District…afterwards. Of course she failed, but that didn't keep her from trying.

She shouldn't be alive. Her murderous first-born had slaughtered all Uchiha who were either male, ninja, or had activated the Sharingan. Being a woman, she was protected from the first condition, but she had been an active and powerful ninja before marrying, and she had activated the clan _kekkei genkai_. Because of her eyes, Itachi should've killed her too along with all the others.

Yet he'd left her alive.

Itachi had attacked her that bloody night. Her elder son had cut up her leg badly enough that she still limped from it. And then, after killing her husband in front of her, Itachi had knocked her out cold.

But he'd left her alive.

If she hadn't had Sasuke, she probably wouldn't have stayed that way. The guilt was so strong that she could physically feel it choking her. The sharp blades of her old kunai called to her, offered to end it all. So much guilt…

_Why Fugaku?_ she wondered miserably. _Why did you have to be so ambitious? You've destroyed us…_

When Itachi reaped his slaughter, the reason he'd left with the survivors was that he wished to test his abilities. He wished to see if there was any true challenge in the ninja of the clan. He wished to see if his Sharingan was the strongest.

Mikoto knew that it was a lie.

Ever since Itachi had entered into the ANBU he had been drifting away from the clan. He increasingly chose duty over spending time with his family. The only Uchiha he continued to spend time with were Shisui, Sasuke, and his girlfriend: Moro.

Two months before the massacre, it got worse. Itachi had learned of the clan's ambitions, and disagreed with them. He had argued against it, but had been ignored.

_I should've supported Itachi,_ she swallowed. _I should've tried to talk Fugaku out of it. The clan should've never seriously contemplated deposing Yondaime-sama._

The Uchiha clan had never been happy about the Yondaime's appointment after the sealing of the demon and the death of the Sandaime. Namikaze-san was still skilled and physically powerful, but his amnesia made him soft and easily influenced. The man shied away from violence and he made the Leaf Village appear weak.

After the sealing, he left the demon host with its mother—a foreign woman who had once been a foreign kunoichi. The Uchiha demanded the child's death; the Kyuubi was simply too dangerous to be left alive no matter how strong the seals or how strong the child. And if it were to be let live, it should not be raised by a foreigner; only a loyal ninja of the Leaf could be entrusted with raising such a thing. But their demands were ignored.

The Yondaime made a treaty with Suna, one of the five great villages. Normally Konoha would only make treaties with smaller, weaker villages. An alliance with one of the other great villages was dangerous, and sent a message of weakness to the other three.

When Kumo tried to abduct the Hyuuga heiress and steal the power of the Byakugan, he chose to placate them for the killing of the abductor instead of returning to war. The Yondaime accepted the sacrifice of Hiashi's twin. And in doing so, the Uchiha clan felt that their Hokage was saying that Konoha would not fight if it was wronged.

And so the Uchiha had determined to replace the mental cripple and make the village a power to be reckoned with once again. Political maneuverings hadn't achieved the desired effect. Too many wanted the Yondaime to remain in power in the hopes that they could push their agendas through him because of his mental disability. So the path of the coup became the primary option.

The clan didn't think the Hokage would be able to stop it if he learned of it. He would only voice protests; he would take no deadly action until it was too late. But they had been wrong.

It probably wasn't the Yondaime's plan. He had most likely been persuaded by Danzou and his allies to proactively eliminate the threat to avoid a bloody civil war. Although one thing simply didn't fit…

_Danzou is an unforgiving militarist,_ she frowned and paused in her scrubbing._ He would spare no one. He would see us all as irredeemable traitors and demand our annihilation. And yet…some were spared._

Someone had called for mercy, or moderation. Someone had argued for the children, the women, and the elderly—those most likely to be innocent or ignorant of the conspiracy. Someone had given the Yondaime the strength to choose a slightly different path—there was no way that the man had done so without support of some kind.

_But who?_ Mikoto wondered. _Who does the clan owe its survival to?_

It would probably remain a mystery forever. She couldn't ask around about it, because officially Itachi had snapped and slaughtered his own people. And Mikoto didn't dare reveal the actual truth, not even to the children of her own clan who were unaware.

If she spoke of the true reason for Itachi's killing spree, she would have to admit the crime of her clan. She would have to admit that the Uchiha clan was disloyal and had been ready to attempt treason. Doing so would destroy the clan's honor, and so she—and the rest of the clan, such as it was—remained silent and cowered shamefully behind the tragic lie.

_Some of the old women grumble that we should tell part of the truth; accuse the Hokage of murdering us though Itachi, his ANBU tool._ She shook her head and returned to scrubbing the floors with her rag. _And some suggest that I pursue the Hokage so that I can influence him. But I shall do neither._

_I am head of the Uchiha clan now. My word is law. And we shall rebuild ourselves and be loyal, as we should've been._

_Fugaku, my poor, ambitious, foolish husband… _Bitter, salty tears leaked from her dark eyes. _You have destroyed us! And for what? So that you could become Godaime Hokage and save the village?!_

_…I should not have been the good wife._


	7. Broken Girl

**Chapter 6:** _  
Broken Girl_

Naruto groggily cracked open his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. It wasn't the ceiling of his bedroom. It was the tile ceiling of the hospital.

_Aw man,_ he groaned and scrubbed at his face. _Did I really get banged up enough to have to come here?_

He didn't think so, but maybe he'd landed funny when he'd passed out and fallen off the giant toad's head…

_Crud, I didn't pass!_ Gnashing his teeth, he sat up and stretched. _That's what I get for prematurely celebrating… Bah!_

Just as he was getting out of bed to look for his clothes, he was hit with a stab of hunger. He was always extra hungry after burning off all his chakra, but this was worse. It felt like he hadn't eaten in days but that was silly. It never took him more than a day or two to recharge unless he really got hurt.

_Find clothes, find food, get back to training!_ Nodding to himself, he slipped off the bed and started to get dressed. _That's the plan! And after that, kick Neji's butt!_

Once he was fully dressed, Naruto jogged from the room and went to sign himself out. Now that he was a genin, he was considered an adult and could do things like check himself out of the hospital. It was a good thing, too; he didn't have time to wait around for his mom to come and check on him, find him awake, and sign him out.

But halfway to the ground floor reception desk and freedom, he got distracted.

"Hinata?"

The girl was dressed in a hospital-issue nightgown and bathrobe. She looked exceptionally pale and fragile as she shuffled down the hall and braced one hand against the wall as she went. She looked like a dark little ghost. Upon hearing his voice, she stiffened up and turned to gawk at him.

"You okay?" he asked.

While she looked a heck of a lot better than she had the last time he'd seen her, she still didn't look so good. Should she really be out of bed? It was hard for him to tell; his rate of healing was far different than normal people.

"Uh…ah…y-y-yes," she managed softly, dropping her pale eyes to the floor and fidgeting with her fingers.

"You sure?" Naruto frowned.

Hinata nodded. "I…I f-feel much b-better."

"Well that's good," he sighed, trying to forget how all that blood had come out of her mouth.

"I-I'll be r-released s-s-soon," she added meekly.

"Awesome!" Naruto cheered. "You'll be at the finals, right?"

The Hyuuga girl nodded.

"Alright!" he grinned.

Hinata timidly glanced up at him for a second; her pale cheeks a feverish shade. "Sh-Shino-kun s-s-said…he s-said…that y-you p-p-promised t-to…"

"Beat Neji up for you?" he finished for her when her voice trailed off into soft incoherence. "Yeah," he nodded firmly. "He needs to be taught a lesson. Family should never fight that way. Even my mom thinks so."

"W-w-why…?" She was fidgeting so badly that Naruto was surprised that her fingers hadn't fallen off. "Why w-would you h-h-help m-me?"

Naruto blinked. "Why not? You're a nice girl, Hinata. There's no way you could've done anything to deserve what he did!" He titled his head curiously. "What's he so mad at the rest of your family for anyway?"

"U-um…w-w-well…w-well…"

Information was more valuable than treasure in the ninja world, his mother taught him. Anything he couldn't get on Neji, even if it was just his twisted motivations, was important. With Hinata's voice getting quieter and quieter, Naruto came right up to her face so that he could hear her better.

"N-N-Naruto-k-kun?!" she yelped and her face reddened further.

"You feelin' okay, Hinata?" Naruto frowned and pressed his hand against her forehead to check her temperature. "Do you have a fever?"

The girl let out a wheezy gasp and shortly crumpled to the floor.

"Hinata?!"

* * *

The Yondaime Hokage stared out his office windows and massaged his throbbing temples. There was a dark cloud hovering over his village and he couldn't dispel it. His only consolation—as weak as it was—was that only the older, higher level ninja were aware of it. The rest of the village went about its business in blissful ignorance.

Hosting the Chuunin Exams was bad enough, but three additional factors conspired to turn the already stressful exams into a complete nightmare.

Firstly, there was Oto. A new ninja group was always a cause for concern. Who were they? What were their goals and intentions? How strong were they? What did they specialize in? Were they ultimately ally or enemy?

Secondly, there was Orochimaru. He vaguely recalled the rogue Sannin from his earliest days after the loss of his memory. The snake-like man always gave him the shivers, and he had never really understood why so many people had seemed to trust him and think so highly of him. When the serpent revealed his true self, the future Yondaime had only felt shock upon seeing the man's handiwork. And now it seemed that the ruthless enemy that the Sandaime had banished had returned, intent on the Sharingan and something else.

And thirdly, it seemed that Suna, Konoha's supposed ally, was up to something. Suna hadn't entered as many teams as they had in previous years, and the one team who had succeeded was powerful. The Yondaime Kazekage's children had made it through the first two parts of the exams with minimal difficulties, and the youngest… There was simply something disturbingly wrong with Sabaku no Gaara.

His advisors—Danzou, Homura, Koharu, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Ibiki, and even Kushina—agreed that entering a genin such as Gaara was ominous at the very least.

_Please let them be wrong,_ he sighed. _Please let them be jumping at shadows. Please, please, please…_

_Oh, why the hell did I take this job?!_

The short answer was: Jiraiya had talked him into it.

_"The list of people qualified to be Hokage is short,"_ the Sannin had told him then, as he'd worked to sway his amnesiac student into going along with things. _"The list of people who would actually be good at it, is even shorter. The clan heads already have more than enough responsibilities, especially the Uchiha as they also manage the Military Police. The Sandaime's advisors are advisors and not leaders for a reason. Orochimaru…well, he goes without saying. Tsunade-hime…her Will of Fire has burned out. And as for myself…"_ He'd laughed. _"As much as I love this village, I'd probably only end up ruining it!_

_"But __**you**__, Minato! You are patient, intelligent, and dedicated—it's in your nature. You are strong and skilled and your reputation is fearsome; foreign leaders will think twice and think twice again before messing with you! Sure, the memory thing is a problem, but we will help you. With some coaching and advice, you'll do just fine, I know it! By becoming the Yondaime, you will protect the village and all the people living in it, ninja and civilian alike. You are our best hope."_

And then Jiraiya had clinched it with: _"And as Hokage, you will decide the fate of that poor baby."_

While the Sandaime had left instructions concerning the demon's infant jailor, the village council had been leaning towards disregarding them completely. Sarutobi-sama wished for the child to live and be respected for his sacrifice. The council wanted him to be killed and forgotten to end the threat of the demon's return forever.

The village's safety and future was on the line, and the life of an innocent baby hung in the balance…and so he had agreed.

It was a miracle that his ascension to Hokage had been confirmed by the council. The Uchiha clan openly disdained his nomination. The Hyuuga were openly dubious. And all the other clans were clearly uneasy. But when the votes were cast, he somehow came out the winner.

_It was desperation,_ he knew now. _They were desperate for a leader, even one like me who was barely better than a figurehead. With me as Hokage, Konoha would look strong because no one outside the village knew that there was anything wrong with me. And there were officials—mostly civilian—who wanted a confused person like me in charge so that they could try and get more influence through me._

Kakashi and Jiraiya tried to keep the political vultures and spiders at bay, but they couldn't be around all the time. Jiraiya was a master spy and in order to do his primary job and keep the village safe, he had to be gone often and for long stretches of time. Kakashi being in ANBU gave him a good excuse to always be at the Hokage's side as a bodyguard, but sometimes he was needed for other missions. And when both were away, the Yondaime knew that little shady things would slip past him.

But then she had come into his life.

He'd been taking a break and walking through the village when he came across an adorable blonde-haired boy running through the streets and giggling madly. The child's mother caught up with the boy right in front the Hokage and the woman cheerfully introduced her baby to the village leader (while he felt like he knew no one, everyone seemed to know him). Belatedly he saw the whisker marks and realized that the boy was the fox's prison.

_"Naru-chan, this man is the Yondaime Hokage; the strongest ninja in the whole village! Can you say hello to Hokage-sama?"_

_"Hi Yon'y-sama! I'm Naruto!"_

From that adorable little greeting on, the blue-eyed boy stole a tiny piece of the Hokage's heart and held on to it tight. Charmed by Naruto and curious as to how he was doing, the Yondaime struck up a conversation with his red-haired mother. She'd seemed uneasy with his attention, but the woman satiated his curiosity as best as she could. And then she'd hesitantly approached him with a problem.

She was a kunoichi and her maternity leave was nearly expired. Because of Naruto's _unique_ situation, she drew a small stipend to help care for him, but it wasn't enough. Even with the salary she drew as a kunoichi, money was still tight most months. When her leave was through, she would either have to return to full duty as a kunoichi and be dependent on babysitters as well as risk going on a mission and never coming home, or she would have to retire and find a civilian job. She wasn't asking for a larger stipend, she was hoping for a part-time administrative job.

And so she became one of his assistants…part time.

However, it quickly became full time as most of his other assistants just kept on not working out. No one wanted to watch the "demon brat" so his red-haired mother could never find a steady, reliable babysitter. Eventually she ended up just bringing Naruto to the tower every day and leaving him in the care of whatever ninjas were available while she worked all day. This irritated a lot of people, but the Yondaime didn't really mind; he enjoyed playing with the boy whenever he could get away with it.

Uzumaki Kushina really earned her place at his side about a year later. A bloody border dispute with Kumogakure no Sato had finally ended and Kumo had sent a powerful ninja as an envoy to sign the treaty to end the fighting. But in the night the man tried to kidnap the Hyuuga heir and was killed. Kumo denied the man's actions and demanded retribution or the fighting would resume. The Hyuuga were ready to throw the clan head's twin brother away. The Yondaime found himself paralyzed with indecision because both options were unbearable…

_"From what I understand, Hizashi __**wants**__ to sacrifice himself to save his brother—not out of duty to the clan or the village, but as a brother saving his brother. Will you grant him his wish? Or will you risk many lives to prevent this one sacrificed life?"_

It wasn't fair, but she reminded him of the bigger picture and helped him make his choice. She put up with him as he brooded for weeks afterward and managed to jar him out of his funk (mainly by leaving Naruto with him as much as possible). And from then on, she became his primary assistant and unofficial advisor.

_What would I do without her?_ he wondered idly. _I'd agonize over silly things and never make up my mind on the important things… It would be a disaster._

He smiled. _I'm so glad that she's with me…_

"…And how did this happen again?"

The Hokage blinked and turned away from his office windows to see his dear assistant coming through the door with his lunch (sushi), her lunch (ramen), and Naruto trailing after her.

"I dunno!" Naruto pouted. "I was trying to talk to her, and then she just fell over and all the hospital people got mad at me!"

"What happened?"

"Naruto made Hyuuga Hinata faint somehow," Kushina sighed and handed him his sushi. "And that made the hospital staff freak out, so he had to send a shadow clone to get me to get him out of there." She rolled her eyes and started eating her noodles. "Idiots."

"Oh," he nodded and pulled his sushi out of the take-out bag. "How did you make her faint?"

"I don't know!" Naruto wailed and plopped down on the floor to devour his own boxes of Ichiraku ramen. "All I was doing was talking to her, and then her face got red and she fell down!"

The Yondaime frowned, baffled. "Weird."

"Yeah, I know," Naruto sulked between mouthfuls of noodles.

"Hmm…" Kushina mumbled thoughtfully as she chewed. "Huh. Well, Naruto, you ready to get back to training?"

"Mm-hm!" the boy nodded eagerly, noodles hanging from his mouth.

"Good," she smiled. "You were in the hospital so long I was starting to worry that you were going to sleep until the finals!"

Naruto paused in his inhaling of his ramen. "Huh? How long was I asleep?"

"Five days."

"_Five days?!_"

"Did you really have to scream?" the Yondaime muttered and rubbed at his ear.

"Why didn't anyone wake me up?!" Naruto yelled and tried to shovel down his food twice as fast.

"You obviously needed the rest," his mother frowned and bopped him on the head. "Slow down and chew your food! It would be a real shame if you choked to death before the finals."

Half-panicked, Naruto cringed but did as he was told.

There was a stretch of several minutes of silent eating before Kushina voiced an observation. "You're really into keeping this promise, aren't you?"

"Of course I am!" Naruto huffed. "You heard what that jerk Neji did! Yondy-sama _saw_ it!"

"Yes, I did," the Hokage grimaced and struggled to keep his appetite.

"I don't doubt that Neji needs some sense knocked through his head, I'm just wondering if you have another reason for wanting to beat this kid," Kushina shrugged.

"Another reason?" Naruto frowned. "Like what?"

"Well this Hinata girl's kinda cute," his mother smirked. "I thought you might want to impress her and avenge her at the same time."

Naruto gawked at her. "_Mo-om!_"

"What?" she asked innocently. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to impress a cute girl."

"Mom, stop it!" the boy groaned.

"She seems shy, but I bet she's very nice when you get to know her," the Yondaime remarked, cheerfully throwing his two cents in.

"No Yondy-sama, not you too!" Naruto moaned and flopped face first onto the office carpet.

The older blonde peered worriedly over his desk. "Naruto, lots and lots of ninja have stood there in their dirty sandals; do you really want stick your face into that?"

Grumbling incoherently, the boy rolled onto his back and stared moodily up at the ceiling. "I'd much rather impress Sakura-chan."

"I'm sure that you would," Kushina sighed drearily.

The Yondaime swallowed a chuckle and shook his head; he was well-acquainted with this little disagreement. Naruto was sure that Haruno Sakura was the best girl in the whole world and the perfect girl for him—he just had to win her over. Kushina was much less enthusiastic about her son's pink-haired teammate and wished that he would chase after a girl who didn't feel the need to hit him every time he asked her out.

Half-tuning their conversation out, the Hokage munched on his sushi and relaxed. It was nice when he and Kushina and Naruto were all together. When Naruto had enrolled in the Academy, and when he had made genin, he was kept busy and out of the Tower.

_I like this feeling,_ the Hokage smiled. _It almost feels like we're a family._

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata sank deep into her hospital bed and squeezed her eyes shut in shame.

_I can't believe I did that! I fainted on Naruto-kun again! Now he probably thinks I'm weak…and weird._

She'd tried so hard to change; to be stronger. When she'd fought her cousin, she thought she'd been close to succeeding for once in her life. He'd cheered for her then; he'd _noticed_ her. If she could've won, it would've been absolutely perfect.

But her cousin hadn't just won, he'd destroyed her. No matter how many times she forced herself to get up and try again he simply swatted her down again like an annoying fly. He met her determination with scorn; he met her compassion with hatred. And then she couldn't fight anymore.

_Neji-nii-san and Otou-sama are right…I am weak. No matter what I do… I just can't! I just—_

A stabbing pain in her chest made her break into a coughing fit. When it subsided, she found tiny flecks of blood on her hand. Grimacing, she wiped her hand clean on the underside of her pillow.

_I need to get better. Shino-kun will be competing in the finals, and I need to go and support him. And Naruto-kun…he promised…I need to be there for him too!_

_I will get better. I have to. I just have to…_


	8. Broken Vessel

**Chapter 7:** _  
Broken Vessel_

Of all her admirers, Ebisu was near the top. And he shared that spot with Maito Gai. The taijutsu specialist had a much better personality than Ebisu did, but… Well, he was Maito Gai.

Kushina stared at the offered bouquet of flowers and managed a polite smile. "Uh, thanks Gai, you…you really, _really_ didn't have to…"

"Such a Youthful flower as yourself deserves only the best, Kushina-san!" the green spandex-clad jounin boomed enthusiastically.

The red-haired woman stood there awkwardly and started to sweat as Maito Gai went on to extol her Youthful virtues…while several other nearby ninja listened on in amusement.

A few years back, Maito Gai had stumbled over her training. She liked to do taijutsu katas while standing on water, and sometimes she'd further challenge herself by working in some freestyle _Suiton_ at the same time. He'd been doing some of his insane training out in the forest when he'd caught sight of her, and apparently he'd found her style of training and physical appearance to be supremely "Youthful."

She hadn't been able to shake him since.

Every time he caught sight of her he would try to woo her. He brought her flowers or chocolates at least once a month. And she strongly suspected the half the reason that he entered into his silly rivalry with Kakashi was to try and prove his Youthful manliness to her.

_And he's the only one who seems to be immune to Naruto the demon pariah, _she grumbled. _At least Naruto doesn't mind him that much… Of course, that means I have to be careful to keep him from adopting spandex._

"That's very nice, Gai," she smiled tightly as he started to wind down, "thank you. But I'm really busy right now. Why don't you go visit that student of yours that's in the hospital?"

"A most excellent suggestion!" Gai smiled brightly and pressed the flowers into her hands. "I shall go and stoke my precious student's fires of Youth!" And then he dashed off to do just that.

Kushina sighed in relief. The flowers were nice, she had to admit. They weren't from a flower shop; they were wildflowers that he'd probably picked while running laps around the village. Even though she didn't want to do anything to encourage him, she decided to keep the flowers.

When she turned to find a good place to stash the bouquet, she nearly ran into the Hokage who had been standing behind her. She started a bit, and wondered just how long he'd been standing there. She also wondered why he looked so irritated.

"Uh…what is it?"

He glanced down at the bundle of flowers in her hands and then brushed past her. "It's nothing. Coffee, please."

Kushina blinked at his back as he strode down the hall and disappeared around a corner towards his office. _Nothing? Why do I not believe you?_

The Hokage had seen her get hit on before. It tended to make him uncomfortable and he usually ignored it. He never got irritated by it.

_Weird… _

* * *

The Hokage slumped into his comfortable swivel chair and glared at the mess of paperwork that covered his desktop. With all the security concerns on top of the chaos of the Chuunin Exams, there was easily double the paperwork that there usually was. It didn't improve his mood any.

_Damn it!_ He thought blackly. _Damn it, damn it, damn it!_

He'd seen other shinobi flirt with his assistant before. He always tried to ignore it; it wasn't any of his business. She was a grown woman, fully capable of accepting or rejecting the advances of other men as she pleased.

_He was embarrassing her, _he scowled. _But she was going to keep the flowers. She liked them._

_…I don't get it._

"Coffee!" his assistant announced as she breezed into the office with a steaming cup. She managed to find a flat spot on his messy desk to set the drink down and then gathered up some processed papers from his outbox. "These are all set, right?"

"Yeah," he nodded and stared into the dark liquid in his cup.

"Cheer up," she advised him. "Whatever happens, the worst part of the exams will be over after tomorrow."

"Right," he agreed and sipped at his drink.

"Well, off to ferry papers!" She waved, and then was gone.

The Yondaime rolled his shoulders to try and relieve some tension and maybe relax a bit. _That's right…the exams. I need to focus on that mess. I can't let petty personal things like jealousy distract me…_

He started to take another sip of his coffee, and froze.

_Not that I'm jealous of __**Maito Gai**__. I'm not jealous. I'm not._

* * *

Naruto pouted and trudged through the streets, kicking a pebble as he went. It was the last day before the finals. He would've been training, but…

_"Take tomorrow off, kid!"_ Ero-Sennin had laughed as he'd shooed Naruto home the previous evening. _"Relax! Strategize! Do whatever!"_

The genin scowled and kicked the small stone extra hard. _Stupid Ero-Sennin! I don't want a day off, I want to train more!_

After he'd recovered from Gamabunta's test, his lecherous tutor had tested out his elemental affinity. The weird piece of paper had split down the middle, apparently signifying that _Fuuton_ was the elemental ninjutsu for him. There was supposedly some special training that he was supposed to do to help draw out his elemental affinity, but the pervert had him skip it in favor of learning one basic offensive and one basic defensive _Fuuton_ jutsu from scrolls. There wasn't time for much else.

He'd spent most of the morning scouring all the places in the village that he'd expect to find the white-haired pervert, but had had no luck. Now it was lunchtime and he was starving and grouchy. He managed to kick his pebble down a storm drain grate and growled.

"Darn it!"

Glaring at the grate for a moment, Naruto groaned and looked around. His dispirited wanderings had brought him to the fringes of the village, a few blocks shy of the hospital. He turned his glare to the sterile white building that crouched in the distance.

He hated hospitals. They were so white and boring and they smelled funny. There were lots of nasty needles, too. And none of the hospital staff ever seemed to like him.

But…

_Bushy Brows is probably still in the hospital. He's on Neji's team and strives to beat him too, so he'd know a lot about what that creep can do. And Ero-Sennin said to "strategize"…_

Mind made up, Naruto marched on to the hospital, intent on interviewing Rock Lee on Hyuuga Neji. After that, he would go and get some lunch and think up some wicked ideas for beating Neji up. That was the plan for the moment.

That plan was revised when he encountered Shikamaru in the hospital lobby.

His lazy former classmate was skulking out of the hospital just as Naruto was scampering in. The Nara boy looked annoyed and had a basket of fruit dangling from one had. Naruto was hungry and intrigued.

"Hey Shikamaru! What's with the basket?"

"I brought it for Chouji, but the doctors wouldn't let him have it," Shikamaru grumbled. "Troublesome."

Naruto frowned. "What's wrong with Chouji?"

"Nothing serious," Shikamaru sighed. "He just ate too much and got some indigestion."

"Oh," Naruto snickered. Then his stomach growled. "Hey, since he's not gonna eat that, can I have some?"

"Sure." Shikamaru grabbed an apple and tossed it to the blonde.

"Thanks!" Naruto brought the apple to his mouth, but paused before biting into it as a brilliant idea struck him.

"What?"

Naruto grinned wickedly at his friend. "Let's eat this stuff in front of Chouji. It'll drive him crazy!"

Shikamaru snorted. "You've got an evil mind, Naruto." He considered the idea for a moment. "Sure, let's do it."

"Yeah!" Naruto grinned.

So they journeyed into the evil bowels of the hospital together and bearing a basket of fruit on a mission to tease their mutual friend. After a little food and fun, he could go on to meet with Rock Lee and dig up some dirt on Neji. That was the plan now.

Yes, that was the plan…

* * *

Kushina settled into a quiet corner of the Tower that she had claimed as her "office," dug out her thermos, and enjoyed her favorite flavor of tea. Tea was far superior to coffee, in her opinion. It came in a wide variety of flavors, and didn't smell or taste nasty like coffee.

How the Hokage could stand to drink that stuff every day she really didn't know.

"Mommy?"

That got her attention instantly. Naruto stopped calling her "mommy" around age seven when he found that "mom" was much shorter and more grown up. He only fell back on "mommy" when he was very upset—like after his bastard teacher, Mizuki, had dropped the fox demon bombshell on his head.

Looking up from her cup of tea, she found her son standing pale and shaken in front of her. He didn't look hurt or like he'd been in a fight, but that was little comfort. Sometimes words could be more devastating than beatings.

"What is it, Naru-chan?"

He didn't protest the childish endearment (which normally he would) and immediately launched into a barely coherent rush of words. "I was at the hospital and he said—he said—there's this sand demon—"

"Whoa, slow down!" She briefly clapped her hand over his mouth to still his panicked babbling. "Now one thing at a time. You went to the hospital…why?"

"I went to go talk to Bushy Brows about Neji," Naruto answered. "And I ran into Shikamaru and he had some food and we were going to eat it in front of Chouji and then—"

"Remember to breathe," she reminded him. "So what happened next?"

"We passed Bushy Brows' room and that Gaara guy was in there…and he was about to kill him with his sand!"

That made Kushina's blood run icy cold.

"Shikamaru was able to stop him with his shadows," Naruto continued. "And we asked him what the heck he thought he was doing and…and he said he was going to kill Bushy Brows just because he _felt like it!_"

_Okay, this Gaara kid is a freaking sociopath!_ It was one thing to kill an opponent in the heat of battle. It was something else entirely to track that opponent down weeks after the battle had gone down and try to kill him while he laid helpless in a hospital.

"What was Lee doing while all this was going down?"

"He was asleep the whole time," Naruto shrugged. "Maybe the doctors had him on medicine or something."

Kushina sighed. "So what happened next?"

"We asked him why he'd just want to kill somebody for the heck of it, and then he goes and tells us his life story." Naruto's eyes grew fearfully wide. "He told us about this sand demon, Shukaku, and how his dad, the Kazekage, sealed it inside him and that's how he can do that stuff with the sand. And then he goes on about the sand being his mother and how his only purpose in life is to kill and how the Kazekage keeps sending assassins after him because he's a failed weapon or something and…and stuff like that!"

"And then what?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"Bushy Brows' sensei showed up and Gaara left."

It took a few minutes for Kushina to absorb every horrifying piece of information that Naruto had thrown at her. But once she had, she quickly came up with a plan of action. Abandoning her tea and her break time, she towed Naruto along towards the Hokage's office, pausing briefly to send an ANBU to find Jiraiya at the Hokage's request.

The "Hokage's request" was a little white lie on her part, but one that she felt was necessary. She didn't want to waste time persuading the Hokage to summon Jiraiya and then wait for the Sannin to show up. It was best if Naruto only had to repeat his account one more time.

The Hokage was on break, too, so there was no waiting for other business to finish to get in and see him. The elder blonde paused in sipping at his coffee and looked at them questioningly. Kushina pulled up a few chairs so she and Naruto could sit as they waited for the Sannin to show up.

"Is something wrong?" the Hokage asked.

"As soon as everyone's here, we'll start," Kushina assured him. "Hopefully he won't take too long…"

Thankfully the ANBU seemed to have located Jiraiya quickly and the lecher didn't drag his feet in showing up. Within ten minutes the white-haired Sannin popped in through one of the office windows. He eyed the office occupants curiously.

"I was summoned?"

"Yes," Kushina nodded and turned to her son. "Now tell them what happened at the hospital."

Naruto complied. After getting the story out once, he was much calmer. As his little story progressed, she watched both men's faces grow grimmer and grimmer.

"So…are you going to do something about Gaara?" Naruto asked curiously as he finished.

"That is for us to worry about, it's our job after all." Kushina managed a smile. "You have your match with Neji to focus on. Or, are you going to let this distract you from keeping that promise you made?"

"No way!" Naruto scowled.

"Good." She nodded in satisfaction and fished out some money for him. "Why don't you get some dinner at Ichiraku's on me?"

"Awesome!" the boy grinned and eagerly took the cash. "Thanks mom!" And then he was out the door and temporarily distracted from his disturbing encounter.

Kushina rubbed a hand over her face and turned to Jiraiya. "What do you think of that?"

"Shukaku…" the Sannin muttered to himself. "I'm fairly certain that's the Ichibi. So, Suna has sent their Jinchuuriki here…"

The Hokage rubbed tiredly at his eyes. "I don't suppose I could get away with expelling Gaara from the exams?"

"No, probably not," Jiraiya sighed. "He's the son of the Kazekage. Just because he's a Jinchuuriki and we're afraid of what he might do isn't grounds for expelling him."

"He may have mangled Rock Lee, but he didn't kill him in the ring and he didn't kill him in the hospital. He _may_ have killed Dosu, but there's no witness, no proof." Kushina sagged in her chair. "Until he actually does something, we can't touch him."

"It doesn't seem right to do nothing, though," the Hokage muttered, frustrated. "How dangerous is this Ichibi in comparison to the Kyuubi?"

"It's much weaker," Jiraiya answered. "Much weaker. But it seems that this Gaara kid's seal is also a lot weaker, and if he were to fully release the demon he could still be incredibly destructive."

The Yondaime tapped thoughtfully on his desktop. "If the Ichibi is a demon like the Kyuubi…it should be possible to subdue it in the same way…"

"What do you have in mind?" the Sannin inquired.

"That boy that Orochimaru experimented on, the one he infused with the Shodai's _Mokuton_ powers… He should be able to stop Sabaku no Gaara if he gets out of hand, right?"

Kushina smiled faintly. He didn't always think like a shinobi, but he would still think. His memory was a mess, but his sharp mind still functioned fairly well.

"He should," Jiraiya agreed. "Get Tenzo assigned to the stadium and we should have a good safety net."

"I'll do that then," the Hokage decided and then slumped a little as he eyed the cluttered pile of form on his desk. "I just have to find the deployment schedule…"

Kushina snorted and moved to assist him. Jiraiya seemed to take that as his cue to leave, for when she next looked he was gone. And when she'd located the necessary paperwork, passed along the changed schedule to the appropriate department, and gotten back to her poor forgotten tea, it was cold.

* * *

Naruto nibbled distractedly at his ramen. Teuchi the ramen chef knew about his upcoming match and had added a bunch of stuff to his soup for free. But there was too much weighing on his mind for him to enjoy it.

He had met someone like him; someone who held a demon. And yet Gaara was so different. So different and so the same…

_He is what I would be if I didn't have my mom. He is what I would be if Yondy-sama hated me. He is me without love or hope…_

The genin shook his head and shoveled down his dinner.

_I shouldn't think about Gaara,_ he frowned, remembering what his mother had said. _I need to keep my mind on the finals tomorrow!_

But…thinking about his match with Neji and the promise that he'd made didn't make him feel any better.

* * *

Sabaku no Gaara perched on a rooftop and stared up at the nearly full moon. He would simply sit and stare all night. He never slept.

_Tomorrow I shall prove my existence._

**Blood,** his "mother" crooned. **I thirst for blood dear Gaara-kun…**

_Tomorrow, Mother,_ he answered. _The Kazekage promised us blood._

**Why wait?**

It was an excellent question, really. Why should he wait? Konoha was a large village full of weak fools…

_It is best to destroy strong opponents to feel alive. If I wait until tomorrow, I will get to kill Uchiha Sasuke. He is strong…_

**Yes, yes, an Uchiha!** His mother sounded so excited. **Dangerous, but he will be delicious!**

Mother approved and so he would gladly soak her sand with his opponent's blood. Anticipation of the kill made him shiver. He almost smiled.

_And after the Uchiha, and all the destruction that follows, I will find Rock Lee and kill him, _Gaara decided. _No one will stop me this time. Not that sensei of his, not that boy and his shadows, not that blonde fool in the black and orange…_

_"He can't kill me! I have a real monster inside me. I won't lose to him."_

**That boy…** Mother sounded…worried? **I don't like that boy. I don't like the smell of his chakra. You should kill him, Gaara-kun—kill him quickly!**

_He is nothing but bluster and bravado, _Gaara sneered. _Uzumaki Naruto is not worth killing. Uchiha Sasuke is my prey…_


	9. Broken Birdcage

**Chapter 8:** _  
Broken Birdcage_

Training…he missed it. Without his training—without the step-by-step strengthening towards his goal—there was only the goal. And his goal, even with all his preparation, seemed to loom over him—crush him.

Naruto was supposed to be heading towards the stadium and the final round of the Chuunin Exams, but he found himself heading in the opposite direction instead.

He'd barely slept at all the night before. His mother had tried to cheer him up, but it hadn't worked like it usually did. She was his mother, and no matter what the situation was, parents always believed in their children. Even if things were hopeless, she would believe in him.

And going up against an opponent like Hyuuga Neji, it _did_ feel hopeless.

Neji was bigger and older and more experienced. He possessed a _kekkei genkai_ that Naruto was only barely familiar with. He fought with in a weird but dangerous and devastating style which he had used to beat the crap out of his cousin (another _Juuken_ fighter) without taking a single hit himself. He was a genius, and everyone else thought that he was going to win.

Naruto skulked into a training field—the very same one where Kakashi-sensei had administered his personal genin exam—and leaned his shoulder against one of the wooden posts.

_Mom thinks I can, and Yondy-sama would probably say so to if I asked him, but…_

He thought about Sakura-chan (and Ino, too, he supposed) and how she always rolled her eyes at him and went after Sasuke because the Uchiha was so much better. He thought about Sasuke and how the Uchiha always looked down on him and ignored him because he wasn't worth it. He thought about how _everyone_ (except for his mother and the Yondaime, but they didn't count) always laughed or shook their head at him when he stated his ultimate goal of becoming Hokage.

He thought about Neji, how he was just like Sasuke, and the promise that he'd made—an oath on blood…

_If only there was someone else who thought I could do it…anyone else!_ Naruto sagged where he stood._ …It wouldn't seem so impossible then._

Some sound caught his attention and he looked around.

"Hey, who's there?"

A slight figure timidly peeked around one of the other posts and Naruto blinked in surprise.

"Hinata?"

* * *

The Yondaime Hokage stood several yards away from the stadium entrance and tried not to look impatient as he waited. For the first time in a very long time, his assistant would not watch the final tournament with him. Instead, he would sit in the place of honor—the highest observation balcony—with a few guards, the Yondaime Kazekage and the Suna leader's guards; no company at all.

He was not at all looking forward to it.

Even though he really shouldn't, he wanted to wish Naruto well before the tournament got underway. This was an exam and he shouldn't have any favorites among the participants. He needed to objectively judge the skills of the entered genin and see if any were worthy of being elevated to chuunin. But…it was Naruto, and if he didn't show up soon the Hokage would have to head off to his seat without doing that.

_Where is he?_ the Hokage wondered, casually glancing around at the sluggish stream of spectators heading into the stadium to cheer or jeer at the contestants. _Where is she? Where are they? I have to head inside in ten minutes!_

"Hokage-sama—" He snapped his head around and smiled at the sight of his assistant. "—has Naruto shown up yet?"

His smile died. "No, why?"

"We left the apartment together, but about halfway here I noticed that he wasn't following me anymore." She nervously nibbled at her lower lip. "I was hoping that he'd just rushed on ahead…"

The Hokage glanced questioningly at the ANBU who skulked at his shoulder, and got a negative response. "He hasn't signed in yet; he's not here," the blonde frowned.

"Damn it," she cursed worriedly. "I was afraid of that."

"Why?"

"He's been stressed out ever since last night," she sighed. "I tried to get him focused, but…" She shook her head. "He's got a lot riding on this fight. He has a very tough opponent to face down and beat in order to keep an important promise, in order to advance in the tournament to face Sasuke, and in order to achieve promotion to chuunin. That's a lot for a twelve-year-old to deal with, ninja or not. He's probably freaked out and as far away from here as—"

"Hi Mom! Hi Yondy-sama!" Naruto skidded on to the scene and hopped from foot to foot with excited energy. "How long until the tournament starts?"

"About fifteen minutes," the Hokage answered, relieved to see the boy and see his high spirits.

"Yeah, I'm not late!" the boy cheered.

His mother frowned at him. "Where have you been?"

"Uh…" Naruto sheepishly rubbed at the back of his head. "…I went for a walk. I should go sign in now—bye!"

"Naruto!" she snapped at her son's rapidly retreating back. "Brat," she muttered. "I'll have to get the whole story out of him later…"

"Well, at least he seems to be ready now," the Hokage smiled.

"Yes," the red-head nodded. "He's a lot better than he was earlier." She pouted. "Now I really want to know about his little walk…"

He chuckled. "If it's anything interesting you'll tell me, right?"

"Of course." She flashed him a cheery grin. "Are you ready to banter with the Kazekage?"

The Hokage's shoulders slumped. "Not really."

While one of his first accomplishments as Hokage was negotiating a treaty between their two villages, he had no love for his fellow 'Kage. The Kazekage wore a veil over his mouth, adding to the already concealing nature of the normal 'Kage robes. When he held audiences—be it with foreigners or his own ninja—the Kazekage would even further conceal himself by sitting on a raised dais behind a sheer screen, and have his petitioners kneel on the sandstone floor and bow to him. And now with what he'd heard about the man's youngest son, Gaara…

The man was a jerk and a creep at the very least.

"Look on the bright side, it'll only be for a few hours," his assistant grinned. "You've suffered through council meetings that have dragged on longer."

"I still wish that you were sitting with me," he frowned.

"You can handle it." She grasped his hand and gave it a brief, comforting squeeze. "You're the Hokage after all."

Impulsively he shifted his hand in her grip and laced his fingers with hers. "Yes," he half-smiled, "I am."

Her bluish-green eyes widened and his smile broadened in response. While her hands were smaller and more slender than his own, they were by no means delicate; they bore calluses and small faded scars, the legacy of her old kunoichi career. It occurred to him that all he had to do was lightly pull on her hand to close the small gap between them and then he could—

A spike of fire slammed into his forehead and he dropped her hand like a hot coal. Blinking against the pain he managed to blank his mind of whatever he'd been thinking about before the headache could spiral into an out-of-control migraine. When the problem cleared up, he found his loyal assistant looking at him in concern.

"Are you alright, Hokage-sama?"

For a brief moment, he was irrationally angry. Even though he had given her permission to, she had never once used his actual name. It was always "Hokage-sama" or "Yondaime-sama," it was never ever Namikaze- or Minato-anything. He wanted to yell at her; demand that she stop using that damn title.

But he didn't.

"I'm fine." He forced a smile. "I just got a little sun in my eyes, that's all. I should get up to my seat; I'll see you after the exams."

The young Hokage practically bolted from her, too confused and upset to end their conversation more politely.

_What the heck was that?_ He frowned as he climbed the many flights of stairs that led up to his seat. _It's never acted up just from holding someone's hand before…_

He stubbed his toe on a stair and hissed in a pained breath.

_Forget it,_ he thought darkly. _I'll worry about it—and everything else—after the exams._

_I'll have plenty of time then._

* * *

It hadn't been a confession…but it had been something.

_I talked to him… I barely stuttered… I didn't faint! And he said—he said—_

Her chest started to burn and Hinata yanked herself back to the present to get her excited breathing under control. If she didn't stay calm, she risked her _Juuken_ injuries relapsing. And if that happened, she wouldn't be able to watch the matches and support Naruto and Shino.

She really should've stayed home. The last bit of damage that Neji had done to her stubbornly refused to fully heal, leaving her coughing up a little bit of blood every day. Coming to the stadium to watch the matches in person was just asking for trouble…

_But even if I stayed home, I would still worry._ She nervously fidgeted her fingers as she trailed after Kiba and Akamaru through the stands as they sought some open seats. _Besides, I promised that I would be here…and if something does happen to me, at least I'll have seen some of the fights with my own eyes…_

"This looks like a good spot!" Kiba grinned as they came to three open seats next to a pair of chuunin that Hinata thought worked at the village gates. "What do you think Hinata?"

"I-it's good," she nodded.

Kiba sat down next to the chuunin with Akamaru perched on top of his head. She sat next to him, leaving the seat bordering the aisle open. The pair of chuunin next to Kiba started debating the possible outcomes of the first matches, but Hinata tuned them out as she waited for the final round of the exam to begin.

_"…I think I like people like you!"_

Hinata hugged herself and stared dreamily off into space.

_Naruto-kun…_

"Is this seat taken?"

The Hyuuga girl blinked and looked up to find a woman eying the open seat next to her curiously. The stranger was dressed in civilian clothing with her long bangs held back by a black barrette and her very long red hair bound in a braid that was draped over her shoulder. She had large eyes that were a mixture of blue and green and a warm, friendly smile. Hinata thought that she looked like a woman who worked in the Hokage Tower, but this was the first time she'd seen this person so close before.

"N-no," Hinata timidly squeaked. "You c-can s-sit here…i-if you w-want."

"Thanks!" the woman grinned and sat down in the empty seat. "You're a Hyuuga, right?"

"Y-yes," Hinata nodded and started her nervous fidgeting.

Her eyes had given her away, of course. Even when not active, the Byakugan was obvious. While her eyes were useful, she really didn't like them and would gladly exchange them for normal eyes if she could.

"That's cool," the woman replied. "My name is Kushina; what's your name?"

"H-Hinata," the girl answered.

"That's a very pretty name."

Hinata ducked her head and flushed at the compliment. "Th-thank you."

"So tell me, are there any fighters in the tournament that you're going to cheer for?" the Kushina woman asked.

"Y-yes," Hinata nodded. "M-my teammate, Sh-Shino-kun…a-and some f-former classmates."

The red-haired woman nodded, as if in approval, and then turned to introduce herself to Kiba and ask about Akamaru.

Relieved to no longer be the focus of conversation, Hinata relaxed and studied her new acquaintance. This woman reminded her of her sensei, Kurenai. She exuded a sense of confidence that Hinata wished she could possess too. Although this woman seemed bolder than Kurenai somehow…

"Oh look, they're starting!"

Hinata started a bit, and followed Kushina's pointing finger down into the grassy arena below. The proctor and referee had herded the fighters out into a line in full view of the crowd. Her eyes drifted over Shino and her cousin Neji before locking onto Naruto's bright presence.

"I hear the first match is between a Hyuuga and someone else," Kushina remarked. "Who do you two want to win?"

Kiba grumbled a bit before answering. "I'd like Naruto to win because Neji's a jerk, but…Neji will probably win."

It was harder for Hinata to answer. While Neji had brutally beaten her and aimed to kill her, she understood why. She didn't care that he was a Branch member or that he hated her. He was family and she greatly admired his strength and skill. It would be good for him and good for the clan if he won.

But she gave in to the impulse to be selfish.

"I w-want N-Naruto-kun to win."

_I want him to be able to keep his promise. I want him to get to be chuunin. I want Naruto-kun to win._

* * *

Kushina wasn't spying. Spying was done on enemies. She was gathering information, which was totally different.

_Cute girl,_ she mused as the genin fighters headed for their waiting area set into the side of the high-walled arena. _The stuttering is a bit off-putting, though. And she's got the spine of a wet noodle. Maybe it's the whole underdog thing that got Naruto to make that promise…_

She'd seen glimpses of the girl when she came to the Tower to get, and report on, missions, but never directly interacted with little Hyuuga Hinata. Catching sight of the girl in the stadium crowd, she took advantage of the open seat to see what she could find out about the Hyuuga clan heir. Any girl that took Naruto's focus off Sakura was well-worth investigating.

_It's too bad that Naruto's match is the first one. That doesn't leave much time to chit-chat before things get going. I'll just have to wait until the intermission after all the first round matches are completed to talk to her more._

Her mind drifted over the Hokage and how, after a solid decade of working with him, he was suddenly...odd. Earlier, when he'd held her hand and smiled at her, it was almost like he was his old self again. It was over just as quickly as it had started with a jolt from the seal, which he had tried to blame on a blinding flash of sunlight so that she wouldn't worry. But why…?

_All seals break down over time… After thirteen years is that damn thing on his forehead finally starting to fail?_

Kushina shifted in her seat and ignored the cold metal pressed against the skin of her side. While she was dressed down as a civilian in a longer-sleeved white shirt, dark green vest, and casual black pants, she was well armed with various concealed blades. With all the crap about Orochimaru and Oto and Suna, she was determined to be ready for anything…while devoutly hoping that all that happened was _nothing_.

Before she had much chance to brood on the chances of potential extra-exam violence, Naruto and his opponent, Hyuuga Neji, strode out into the center of the arena under the watchful gaze of the proctor…and a stadium full of spectators. But Naruto didn't look bothered; he looked focused and determined, and that was good. Kushina edged further forward in her seat.

_Here we go…_

Things started off predictably enough. There was the usual trash-talking and boasting—basic little bits of mental warfare. It went a bit sideways when Neji took his hitae-ate off and revealed his "caged bird" seal to Naruto, but after the impromptu lesson the first blows were exchanged and the match was on.

Naruto was aggressive and direct as always. Neji danced and flipped out of the way of every lunge with all the grace that the Hyuuga were known for. Naruto cracked out his _Kage Bunshin_ in an attempt to overwhelm his opponent. Neji defended himself with the _Kaiten_—a jutsu restricted to Main family members; something Neji shouldn't know. Naruto tried to use his new _Fuuton_ skills, but his one attack was like an invisible fist, not a blade, so the damage he could do was very limited. Neji was unbothered, and launched into aggressive _Juuken_ strikes.

The tension in the atmosphere ratcheted higher and higher. Naruto was giving it his all but he was barely getting anywhere. Neji was barely effected and kept on dishing out punishment on his adversary. Her son seemed on the path to defeat, and yet he kept getting up.

And there was something else. The more intense the battle got, the more Hinata coughed. Every time Kushina felt herself getting totally sucked in to the fight, she would hear the girl sitting next to her cough. And then it went from coughing…to coughing up blood.

_Damn it, she's relapsing…_

That was one of the problems of _Juuken_ injuries. If they didn't heal enough and the victim was put in a stressful situation the wounds would deteriorate and ooze blood and—without treatment—eventually end in death. Hinata needed to see a medic _now_ or risk her injuries leading to permanent disability or fatality.

_I guess I won't get to see all of the match—_

"May I be of assistance? I'm a medic."

The speaker wore an ANBU mask—feline with no distinguishing marks, so she really couldn't identify him—and a hooded black robe. It wasn't unusual for an ANBU to be around, but to leave his post to help a spectator without being summoned…it felt off. But before she could talk to the masked man, Kiba was already helping Hinata (who was rapidly losing consciousness) out of her seat and after the ANBU to get treatment.

_Odd…very odd._ Kushina frowned, but turned back to the fight. _But her teammate is with her. I'll check on them later, and fill them in on how the fight went._

She turned back to the arena…just in time to see her son get hit with one of the Hyuuga clan's most devastating attacks. Finger-jabbing strikes flew too fast for the eye to really see, each set of strikes exponentially more than the last. And when it was over, Naruto's chakra would be blocked and he would be left paralyzed…

…But then Naruto got back up.

_He shouldn't be able to do that…right?_

And then Naruto started gathering chakra.

_He can't do that unless a Hyuuga unblocks his system or…_ Her eyes narrowed. _Red? …Oh._

Kushina could barely breathe as things exploded. Naruto was faster now. Much faster. But Neji's Hyuuga techniques seemed able to still keep Naruto at bay. And then the _Kaiten_ met demon chakra…and exploded.

When the dust cleared…

_No…_ Her heart sank as she saw Naruto prone on the ground and Neji battered but still standing. _Naru-chan, get up, get up!_

Neji trudged over to his victim and said something. The crowd was silent, but the walls of the arena were too high and the Hyuuga was speaking too quietly for anything to be heard. The proctor looked on and seemed ready to call out the victor—

Naruto popped out of the ground like a buried jack-in-the-box, popped Neji under the chin and toppled the older boy backwards, and the diversionary _Bunshin_ dispelled in a cloud of white smoke.

"…_Yes!_"

_My baby is __**awesome**__!_

* * *

Fate was cruel.

First it had shuffled his father into the Branch family because he was born second. Then it had killed his father to appease a foreign village. It made him greater than his cousin, but relegated him to the lesser part of the clan.

And now Fate humiliated him by allowing him to crush his pathetic cousin with ease and then allow him to be defeated by an idiot.

"For a genius you're pretty stupid."

Hyuuga Neji tilted his head slightly—about the only movement he could manage—and saw his opponent, Uzumaki Naruto, wavering but still standing and staring down at him.

"Fate favors you more than me, it seems."

"That's bullshit!" Naruto snarled. "A cop-out! I don't believe in fate; it's just a lame excuse!"

The younger boy glared at him, panting.

"I failed the Genin Exams three times and if there was such a thing as fate, I would never be a ninja. But I am. I didn't just lay down and give up and mope about it, I kept trying. And I'm going to do more than just be a ninja; I'm going to be the best. I'm going to be Hokage one day. And when I achieve that, I'm going to find a way to get rid of the 'caged bird' seal!"

Neji just stared at the blonde, unsure of how to respond to such a ridiculous declaration.

"You're a smart guy, Neji. You figured out all those techniques just by watching! So stop doing stupid stuff like throwing blame around. Your dad's death wasn't Hinata's fault; she doesn't deserve your hatred. The Main family and that seal on your head aren't holding you down; quit using that as an excuse. The only thing that's holding you back is _you_!"

The Hyuuga boy frowned at him.

"If you want to be a great ninja, then do it. You can figure out a way, no matter what your clan might do. Because you're no failure, you're a freaking genius."

And with that, Naruto turned away.

The proctor gnawed on the senbon needle clenched between his teeth before raising an arm and bellowing: "Winner, Uzumaki Naruto!"

The crowd roared.

Medics arrived and loaded Neji onto a stretcher to carry him away for treatment.

_What a fool. And yet…I want to believe him. I want to hope as he hopes. Maybe…_

A bird circled overhead.

_Maybe…_


	10. Broken Peace

**Chapter 9:** _  
Broken Peace_

The Hokage was beyond annoyed with Hatake Kakashi. He had grudgingly accepted the fact that the silver-haired man would never be on time for anything. But this was just crossing the line.

Sasuke had missed the deadline for reporting to the final exam tournament. Normally this would count as a forfeit for the Uchiha. However, there was a great deal of anticipation to see Sasuke, the son of the deceased Uchiha clan leader and younger brother of the clan's murderer, fight in the tournament. So, in order to satisfy the masses (and several important dignitaries), and to avoid punishing Sasuke for his teacher's chronic tardiness, Sasuke was not disqualified and the tournament got underway without his arrival.

Naruto's match had been fantastic. The Yondaime was well aware that he was biased, but he didn't care. It had been a suspenseful match, which pleased the crowd a great deal. Naruto had won, kept his little promise, and not gone berserk with that flare of demonic chakra—which pleased the Hokage.

But Sasuke's match with Gaara was supposed to follow Naruto's match with Neji, and the Uchiha boy still had not arrived. Again, he should've been disqualified, but the Yondaime bent the rules once more. And the Hokage's irritation with the man who supposedly had been his student burned hotter.

Shino's match with Kankuro should have followed Sasuke's skipped match, but Gaara's older brother unexpectedly withdrew from the competition. That had been very worrisome. Kankuro had seemed very confident and was clearly skilled enough to have advanced to where he had in the exams. So why had he withdrawn mere moments before his match was to begin?

Regardless of Kankuro's inexplicable forfeit, the tournament continued with Shikamaru's bout against Temari. Although not as flashy as Naruto's fight, the Hokage found Shikamaru's performance just as entertaining. The Nara clan was known for producing fine strategists and Shikamaru was no exception. His brains handily outdid the Suna kunoichi's brains _and_ her punishing winds. Even though he had quit at the end, the Nara boy's chances were very good for being promoted.

_If he gets a high enough score to get promoted, I can't wait to see his face._ The Yondaime's amusement died quickly, because with the conclusion of that match, there was no more stalling for Sasuke. _I have to remember to have Kushina-san help me come up with a suitable punishment for Kakashi-san…_

The Hokage swallowed a sigh and prepared to declared Uchiha Sasuke disqualified to move the tournament along—

There was an excited stirring in the audience and the Yondaime glanced down to find that Hatake Kakashi had finally made his dramatic arrival with his student Uchiha Sasuke.

_…I'm still going to punish him. Kakashi-san is a grown man and an experienced ninja; he should know how to be on time. To almost ruin his student's chance for advancement…irresponsible and unacceptable._

The Yondaime Hokage quietly seethed in his seat while trying to hide his ire from the Kazekage.

He was able to set aside his irritation for later as Sasuke finally entered the arena to face down Sabaku no Gaara. The crowd was hushed and tense in anticipation as the biggest fight in the first round—one of the last Uchiha against the deadly child of the Kazekage—was moments away from beginning. Gaara loosed some of his sand…and then Sasuke blurred into motion.

The Uchiha boy was fast—much faster than he had been before. And it quickly became obvious to the Hokage that Sasuke was utilizing elements of Rock Lee's fighting style, which he had copied with his _kekkei genkai_ at some earlier point. With his vastly increased speed, his hard-hitting taijutsu, and the predictive abilities of his Sharingan, Sasuke quickly got around Gaara's sand and started doing the red-headed boy some mild damage.

It almost seemed to be a blow-by-blow repeat of Gaara's fight with Rock Lee. The Hokage watched as the same moves had the same result on the Suna boy. And Gaara seemed to notice this too, which led him to do something different.

Gaara wrapped himself in a sphere of sand, generated a sand globe that seemed to be an eye…and then apparently just sat there. Sasuke tried to attack the sphere, but spikes of sand grew out of the surface of it and tried to skewer him. The Suna genin wouldn't come out or attack, and the Konoha genin couldn't deal a single blow. It looked like a stalemate.

And then Sasuke backed off, scaled a side of the high-walled arena with chakra, and started to gather lightning to one of his fists.

_He taught him __**that**__?!_

The Hokage was hazy on the details of ninja combat and skills. He mostly operated on instinct for the most part and couldn't recall the fine details of what he was doing or how (except with seals; he really liked those and they seemed more like art than something that was intended to kill another person). But he worked enough with his former student to recognize one of Kakashi's signature moves.

_The _Raikiri _is too high-powered for a genin, even one like Sasuke. It must be the _Chidori_ then…_

Straining his ears, he could hear the distant sound of crackling energy masquerading as thousands of chirping birds. The Hokage blinked, and almost missed Sasuke darting into motion. With the aid of his Sharingan, the Uchiha got in close, dodged around the sand spikes, and slammed his jutsu into _and through_ the shell of sand.

There was silence…and then Gaara screamed.

_So Sasuke's scored a real hit._ The Hokage frowned at Gaara's extreme reaction. _With the way that he's screaming, it's almost like he's never suffered any real pain before. But that can't be right. …Maybe he's just surprised that someone got through that sand cocoon of his._

The atmosphere seemed to darken and Sasuke tried to free his arm. After a bit of struggle, he succeeded…and pulled something out with him. It was an ugly yellowish tan color, a marked difference from the sand of the protective shell. Whatever it was lost its grip on Sasuke and quickly retreated into the cocoon.

_That thing…what was it?_ The hair on the back of the Hokage's neck prickled. _Could that have been that demon…Shukaku?_

But then the sand shell collapsed revealing a bleeding Gaara on the ground. The wound didn't look serious, certainly not serious enough to make the boy collapse. The red-headed boy sat in a pile of limp sand, clutching at his head, and looking to be in some kind of pain.

_…Is he having some kind of psychotic break?_

It really looked that way. Gaara didn't seem aware of where he was or what was going on. Sasuke didn't know what he should do. And the proctor, Shiranui Genma, chewed on his senbon needle and scowled at the whole scene.

_I guess that's it—_

And then it started snowing feathers.

_What the—_

**Pain.**

Pure agony burst from the seal and stabbed deep into his brain. There was no slow build-up, no gradual escalation. It was zero to full-blown migraine in an instant.

That had never happened before.

There was an explosion of smoke—

Someone had grabbed him, yanked him upwards—

Scaly things coiled around him like ropes…

He had to get away, had to escape, but he couldn't. To use his _Hiraishin no Jutsu_—to use _any_ sort of escape jutsu—he needed to focus. And he couldn't focus; it hurt too much.

There was no escape.

_…Snakes?_

The scaly coils were snakes. Large snakes with strangely patterned scales. Summon snakes.

Blinking against the burning, stabbing pains, he squinted at…the Kazekage?

The Kazekage stood on the red roof tiles with his back to the Hokage. The leader of Suna shed his blue-and-white hat, and then his blue-and-white robes. And then he turned around and _peeled off his face_.

Golden serpent eyes leered back at the Hokage maliciously.

"Hello Minato-kun! It's been such a long time…"

* * *

Tenzo—codename Yamato—broke the genjutsu as soon as he noticed it and immediately rushed towards the Hokage. He'd been stationed at the fighting arena in order to deal with Sabaku no Gaara should the boy get out of hand. But the Suna Jinchuuriki was out of commission (his building demonic chakra had collapsed to nothing) and now his leader needed his ANBU.

He was too late.

The Yondaime had been hauled to the roof of the stadium building, and four young mystery ninja formed the corners of a square barrier ninjutsu. One of the other ANBU tried to charge through it before it had stabilized, but he was shocked severely and repelled. There was no getting through.

Through the grayish distorting haze of the barrier, he could see the Hokage limp and bound by serpents. There seemed to be no reason for their leader to not fight back or escape. The Kazekage stood nearby on the roof…and shed his disguise to reveal the rogue Sannin underneath.

"Orochimaru," Yamato cursed behind his mask.

_But if Orochimaru was the Kazekage, where is the __**real**__ Kazekage?_

Shunting aside the question (and a good dozen others), Yamato focused on the situation in front of him.

_Yondaime-sama…why hasn't he escaped?_

* * *

Kushina hated to admit it, but she almost fell for the "snowing feathers" genjutsu that some jerk cast over the entire stadium. But she shook it off and broke the illusion's hold over her mind. All around her the civilians and the lesser ninja slumped over in genjutsu-induced sleep, and she pretended to, too.

While she was slumped over in false sleep, she kept her senses alert. She caught a glimpse of a turban-wearing Suna-nin prowling nearby. And then there a ninja with a musical eighth note—an Oto-nin—that darted past her.

_It's one of the worst-case scenarios,_ she thought grimly as she slipped her Leaf hitae-ate out of an inside pocket of her light vest and loosely tied it around her neck. _Oto is an enemy. Suna is back-stabbing us. And they're working together to try and cut Konoha's throat._

Easing one of her concealed kunai blades into her hand, she carefully watched and waited…and lunged at the back of a nearby unsuspecting Oto-nin.

He never knew what hit him.

She hadn't been in the field in years. She hadn't admittedly kept her training up the standards of a field ninja of her rank. But she trained with Naruto, she kept in shape, and she retained the experience. In this emergency, it would be enough.

Releasing the corpse, she retreated towards the back of the stands. With a solid wall at her back, there was no way someone could sneak up behind her. And if she could find some Konoha-nin to join up with, all the better.

As she vaulted up the stair-step rows of seats she tried not to think about Hinata and Kiba. The strange ANBU had carried Hinata off for treatment and Kiba and his puppy had followed. The Inuzuka boy had briefly returned to the seats to watch Shino's match, and when it didn't happen he left to check on the Hyuuga girl. He hadn't come back.

_She's in the stadium infirmary. He's still with her. They're fine. Focus on the present!_

Kushina managed to knock off another Oto-nin, and a Suna-nin, before she _Kawarimi_'d away from an enemy attack, reappearing on one of the higher balconies where the dignitaries sat to watch the fights. Her new position gave her a great view of the various small skirmishes going on in the arena and stands below. It also gave her a glimpse of part of the red-tiled stadium roof.

_What's that?_ She frowned and squinted at a grayish rectangular pillar of…something…that rose off the rooftop. _A…barrier? But why? What for?_

Shrugging it off, she left it for the ANBU to deal with and looked down again to try and determine where she should go next.

_There's Kakashi,_ she noted. _…And Gai. And look at all those ninja who are trying to kill them…_

_Might as well head in that direction._

Before she ditched her spot on the balcony full of snoozing nobles and their entourages, she looked towards the Hokage's balcony where the Yondaime and the Kazekage sat.

It looked like a small bomb had gone off there, and there was no sign of either 'Kage.

_Crap._

While she had held her distance from the Yondaime in the earliest days of his reign, and in his earliest days of amnesia, Kakashi had spent most of his time trying to be his addled sensei's shadow. After she had found herself drawn back to the mind-wiped Hokage's side, Kakashi would occasionally drop by to talk with her about the old times. And sometimes he'd share little horror stories of trying to deal with his precious sensei who didn't know him anymore.

When it was discovered that the future Yondaime still retained his ninja skills and abilities, it was necessary to test him to see how much he could still do and how well he could do it. And the best way to test that was to engage him in practice spars. This led to a lot of problems…

The confused man didn't want to fight. He had to be coaxed into sparring with other ninjas and he was always terrified of hurting his opponents. When he was sneak-attacked with no warning, he would react instinctively and appropriately for a ninja. But once he had subdued his attacker and it caught up with him that he had hit or hurt the person, he would immediately fall apart and start _apologizing_.

Reacting that way in actual combat was a good way to get killed, and so he had been pulled from active field duty up until the time that he'd been installed as the next Hokage.

_If he gets into a tight spot where the ANBU can't protect him, he can run away. He still can use the _Hiraishin_. He will run away and let the rest of us handle this…_

She shook her head and dropped from the mid-level balcony to work her way towards Kakashi and Gai.

_…Please run away._

* * *

The Hokage wheezed as the snakes tightened slightly around his helpless body.

"Ah, it's so nice to be back!" Orochimaru purred as he lazily paced around his captive on the rooftop. "The village looks the same…except for that addition to the Hokage monument. Hmm…I think I'll blow it up."

The entrapped Hokage tried to ask a question, but could only croak out: "…How?"

"How can I trigger that seal on your forehead?" Golden eyes glittered in wicked glee. "It's very simple, Minato-kun. I put it there."

"W…why?"

"Relax," the rogue Sannin purred. "I'll explain everything. With my 'Sound Four' holding up their barrier, no one will be able to interrupt…"

One of the binding snakes shifted and sank its fangs into the Yondaime's neck.

"Don't worry, the venom won't kill you," Orochimaru smirked, noting the fearful widening of his victim's eyes. "It just paralyzes you and interferes with your chakra. I can't have you escaping before I finish…like you did last time."

The traitorous Sannin ran his long dark tongue over his thin lips and leered at his prisoner.

"As you once knew—and I'm sure that you've been told—I live to learn new skills and discover new things. During one of my old missions, I came across the ruins of a dead civilization and I took the time to collect some writings and artifacts for further study at my personal leisure. And from my research, I discovered a seal that they had developed for the punishment of criminals. I kept this to myself—saved it for a rainy day, as some might say."

Orochimaru chuckled darkly.

"And as you once knew—and you've surely been told since—my aspiration was to ascend to the office of Hokage. You, too, desired the position. At first, I did not see you as a serious rival. I was the favorite and most powerful student of the Sandaime Hokage, experienced, successful, and well above any other pursuer of the post. You were a student of that oaf, Jiraiya; you were young, inexperienced, over-eager, foolish… But you began to grow strong, build a reputation, and become a threat."

The Sannin's arrogant, smug demeanor congealed into something darkly angry.

"At first I was certain that Sarutobi-sensei would still choose me to succeed him, but he began to show you more favor…more favor than _me_. As much as I disliked the idea that my dear old sensei would betray me and deny my greatest dream, I had to acknowledge that the possibility existed. So you had to be eliminated."

Smirking again, the snake-like man moved to stand directly in front of the Yondaime and gently stroked his cheek.

"Killing you would've been the simplest solution. But just to kill you would be such a _waste_. So I endeavored to make your end useful to my research. I made you one of my…experiments."

The trapped Yondaime couldn't help but recall scraps of the horrors he'd seen as he'd followed Jiraiya through Orochimaru's hidden lab on the fringes of the village. To think that he was just like some of the poor souls he'd seen there… He tried to shiver, but the paralyzing snake venom prevented it.

"Reading about that ancient seal that I had uncovered was intriguing. I desired to see it in action. So when you drew that mission escorting that paranoid noble back to his home in the Land of Rice Paddies, I intercepted you before you returned to Konoha and shared some drugged water with you." Orochimaru shook his head as he chuckled. "It was child's play to ensnare you."

The Sannin reached up and carefully removed the hitae-ate from the Yondaime's head and tossed it aside to clatter on the hard roof tiles. The whip-thin tail end of one of the serpents moved to push up the fringe of blonde bangs and bare the partial seal emblazoned there. Orochimaru traced the marks thoughtfully for a minute or so before speaking again.

"Unfortunately, I made a minor miscalculation and you woke up before I could finish applying the seal. You employed that dratted _Hiraishin no Jutsu_ that made you famous and escaped me. But I must say, my experiment wasn't a _total_ failure…

"When you stumbled back home all addled and confused it was quite fortunate for me that you acquired that amnesia. I greatly looked forward to studying you and your broken seal, and perhaps find a way to perfect it into something more than a very cruel execution method. The full seal was named something along the lines of 'the eternal torment' and was designed to wipe the victim's memory, lock him in a catatonic state, and wrack him with excruciating pain until his body slowly give out and dies. Imagine: to not know who you are and know only agony, unable to scream or react in any way…until death creeps in and takes it all away."

Orochimaru ran his long tongue over his mouth again, as if tasting the described torment…and savoring it.

"Regrettably, I grew a little too aggressive in acquiring test subjects for some of my other experiments and my extra studies were uncovered by Sarutobi-sensei." He sighed and shook his head regretfully. "One of my sensei's greatest weaknesses was placing too much value on human life—a weakness I had long since rid myself of—and he drove me away. And so my chance to study you was taken from me. Such a pity."

The dark-haired man brushed some long strands of hair from his eyes and scrutinized his captive audience for a moment.

"You're probably wondering why I've come back. What I'm planning to do. …I'll tell you, Minato-kun.

"When I fled the village, I resolved to return and show Sarutobi-sensei the error of his decision. When that foolish old man killed himself in subduing the raging Kyuubi I was without a target. And when you—my crippled victim—replaced the Sandaime as I had first worried that you might…I found a new focus for vengeance."

Orochimaru sneered at him.

"I cannot have this village, so I will smash it. I cannot strike out against my sensei, so I will settle for you instead. I could not have the seat of Hokage, so you will suffer."

The Sannin flashed him a smile that looked almost kindly.

"But don't worry, Minato-kun. I won't kill you."

He produced a small ink pot and brush.

"I'm just going to finish what I started…"

* * *

Naruto gulped hard as he sprinted after Pakkun, the ninja pug that his sensei had summoned. He and Sakura and Shikamaru were following the dog as it led them after Sasuke who was chasing Gaara and his two siblings. Kakashi wanted the three of them to back Sasuke up.

_Why is this happening?_ Naruto wondered as they ran.

One moment Sasuke looked like he had been about to win against Gaara, the next it was snowing feathers and Naruto was out like a light. When Sakura woke him up, it was a different world. The exams had been replaced by war as Oto-nin and Suna-nin clashed with Konoha-nin all over the stadium littered with unconscious civilians.

This was way worse than the misclassified mission to Wave. This wasn't just his team—himself, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi—risking their lives against Zabuza, Haku, and Gato and his thugs. It was his entire village against two other villages—one army against two other armies. This was so much bigger.

He was worried for a lot of people, but most especially his mom. Sure, she used to be a ninja and had taught him most of what he knew about being a ninja. Sure, she was tough and could be really scary, especially when she was mad. But…she was his mom and she'd stopped being a ninja the day that he was born.

What if she was too out-of-practice? What if she wasn't in good enough shape? What is she got hurt?

…What if she died?

_Gah!_ Naruto shook his head fiercely. _I can't worry about that now! I need to focus on the mission! I need to pay attention, otherwise Sakura-chan or Shikamaru might get hurt. My job is to go help Sasuke!_

_After that I can go back and help Mom…_

* * *

Orochimaru smiled as his snakes lowered the Yondaime Hokage to the roof and uncoiled from him before vanishing in puffs of white smoke. The blonde man lay limp, his eyes half open, unfocused, and glassy. The Sannin checked his victim's vital signs, found them to his liking, and then took a moment to study the completed seal before he stepped away.

As he had told the Yondaime, Orochimaru would not kill him. He would let his former rival live…so that he could suffer the full power of the tormenting seal. The dark-haired Sannin was most curious to see how long Namikaze Minato would last against it.

Taking a moment, he seethed against his old sensei and the village. Sarutobi Hiruzen had favored the wrong candidate, and then dashed his greatest student's dreams by banishing him. Then the old man had the gall and go and martyr himself and the village had chosen to make the mental cripple the next Hokage.

It really wasn't fair.

_But today is my day of vengeance._

For years he had worked and planned for this day. He had started up his own small village of ninja: _Otogakure no Sato_. He had ensnared Suna, Konoha's ally, into his plans. And now he was finally putting into play the plan he had slaved over for so long.

The Yondaime Hokage had been punished. The village was beginning to be punished. And now it was time to punish a dead man.

One of the techniques he had developed in his exile could raise the dead—his _Edo Tensei_. He would resurrect the first three Hokages and use them as weapons. The Shodai, Nidaime, and Sandaime would have to obey him and help destroy the village that they had founded and protected with their lives. The village would fall prey to its greatest heroes.

Yes, revenge was sweet.

_Come to me, Sarutobi-sensei!_

Orochimaru began making the necessary hand seals—

A blast of black flames slammed into Sakon's (and Ukon's) corner of the barrier. The chakra barrier held briefly, and then crumbled. The twin Oto-nin were quickly incinerated. With one corner destroyed, the entire barrier wavered and collapsed.

Staring beyond the lingering black flames that crackled and burned the patch of roof where the barrier had been, Orochimaru's yellow eyes widened.

"…Itachi!"


	11. Broken Demon

**Chapter 10:** _  
Broken Demon_

"…Fancy seeing you here," Orochimaru sneered, careful not to look into Uchiha Itachi's eyes.

Itachi made no reply.

The Uchiha looked haggard, like he'd traveled for days without rest. The black cloak decorated with red clouds that he wore was tattered and torn in places, and the bottom edge and his shoes were stained with mud. His pale skin bore many small cuts—like paper-cuts or scratches from crashing past small branches—and bruised. But still the missing-nin stood strong and stoic.

"Seeing as you have destroyed my barrier and killed some of my loyal servants, I assume that you have not come to assist me," Orochimaru mused aloud. "And considering your unkempt appearance and the absence of that sword-swinging shark partner of yours, I assume that you are not here on behalf of the Akatsuki. I wonder…what is your motive?"

Itachi did not answer, except to draw a kunai from underneath his Akatsuki cloak.

"I see…" Orochimaru hissed.

With a gesture, he set the remaining members of the Sound Four to attack the rogue Uchiha. He knew that they had no chance of surviving, and very little chance of even touching Itachi, but they would buy him a bit of time to launch his own attack around their distracting deaths. Obedient to his wishes, Tayuya, Kidoumaru, and Jirobou lunged for their target, activating their curse seals straight to the second level as they moved.

Itachi, with the aid of his well-developed Sharingan, easily intercepted them. He buried his kunai into Tayuya's throat before she could even bring to bear her flute (not that it would've done her any good if she had). Then he used wires to ensnare both Jirobou and Kidoumaru and incinerated them with a _Katon_ jutsu. The whole skirmish was over in only a few moments.

But those precious minutes gave Orochimaru the time he needed to prepare a few strategies and summon the snake who stored his infamous legendary blade: Kusanagi.

Before the flames that consumed his last two bodyguards had died down, Orochimaru was in motion, shooting snakes from one sleeve to bind his foe with he stabbed his sword out with his other arm. He came in from above, trying to use the glare of the sun to obscure Itachi's vision (even with an active Sharingan, bright lights still blinded). It looked like it worked, until seconds after the sharp venomous blade pierced the Uchiha the boy exploded in white smoke.

_A shadow clone!_

The Sannin dodged to the side, fractions of a second before a kunai bearing an explosive tag hit the roof where he'd been standing and blew up. The moment his sandals touched the roof again, he had to jump once more as a series of fireballs rained down around him. And then he narrowly avoided getting tangled in more wires.

Opening the tip of one of his fingers, Orochimaru used the blood to summon a snake large enough to cover half the roof and make the structure groan with its weight.

"Not bad, Itachi-kun," the serpentine Sannin hissed as he crouched atop his Summon's head. "But this time I think I'll succeed in stealing your amazing eyes!"

* * *

Yamato crouched with a group of ANBU on the edge of the roof and stared on in shock. As if things weren't bad enough with Orochimaru attacking the Hokage behind a barrier they couldn't penetrate, now Itachi was on the scene. Two S-rank criminals were fighting it out on the highest point of the arena…and what were they supposed to do about it?

"…Which one should we attack?" an ANBU bearing a frog mask wondered.

"Neither," the most senior ANBU—a captain wearing a bear mask—decided. "Keep up a perimeter around them and let them do their best to kill each other. Whichever one comes out on top we kill or take into custody." He gestured to Yamato and a few others. "You go collect Hokage-sama and move him to a secure location."

They all agreed with this plan of action and Yamato moved in with his select comrades to retrieve their incapacitated Hokage.

The blonde ninja lay prone on the red roof tiles, heedless to the massive coils of the blue and black snake that Orochimaru had called upon to battle Uchiha Itachi. He didn't react when two ANBU—Rooster and Lizard—scooped him up and carried him away as Yamato and Monkey played escort duty. The Hokage was just limp as a ragdoll and reactive as a coma patient. It was very disturbing.

The mood in their party was grim. One of ANBU's primary duties was to protect and serve the Hokage. And they had failed horribly. The Yondaime was still alive, but…

_Will he ever recover?_ Yamato wondered. _Will he ever wake up? Or will we have to accept a new Hokage?_

Shaking his head, he kept his senses sharp as they carefully navigated the village-turned-battlefield. All around them Oto-nin and Suna-nin tangled with Konoha-nin. Thankfully it seemed that the civilian evacuation was either complete or near complete as they saw no innocent villagers running for their lives.

The feline-masked ANBU frowned as they drew near their headquarters; one of the most secure buildings in the entire village. As soon as they settled the Yondaime inside, it should only require two or three of them to adequately protect him. That would free at least one of them up, if necessary…

_I should be the one to go,_ he decided. _I was tasked with neutralizing the Suna Jinchuuriki if needed. Once Hokage-sama is safe, I should find that boy and make sure he's not making this battle worse._

Sabaku no Gaara had seemed to be out of the fight before it had actually exploded, but…when he had left the arena with the Hokage, the red-headed boy had vanished.

* * *

Mikoto had come to the exams hoping to watch her son compete and seek a promotion. "Hoping" because Sasuke had left the village to train with his sensei and hadn't come back. And early on in the tournament, it looked like Sasuke wasn't going to appear.

It made her worry that something had gone wrong. Hatake Kakashi had taken Sasuke away to hide him from Orochimaru… What if his precautions weren't enough? What if the criminal Sannin had stolen her baby away, or simply killed him and run off with his precious eyes?

But then, at the absolute last minute, Sasuke had appeared. She was greatly relieved to see him alive and well, but disappointed that there was no time to talk with him—encourage him—before his fight. There was nothing anyone could do about that though, so she put all her energy into cheering for her little boy and worrying about the outcome of his match.

And then everything had gone wrong.

The instant that she saw the feathers, she activated her eyes and saw through the illusion. But as the enemy ninja started their attack, she ran into difficulties. Not only was she not prepared for a fight, but with her crippled leg she was at an even greater disadvantage.

So she ended up creeping to the shadows, keeping to them, and using her Sharingan to pick out and accurately hit targets with weapons that others had thrown or with precise _Raiton_ jutsu.

She'd never been much of an assassin during her ninja career. She was just a general fighter who occasionally worked seduction missions. But with her limp, and the fact that she hadn't trained in a long time, she did her best at sniping with damaged kunai, senbon, and lightning chakra.

Mikoto carefully used ninja wire she'd scavenged from a corpse to retrieve a discarded kunai without leaving her hiding place. She took a moment to study the weapon, her Sharingan sharp enough to note stress fractures that would make the blade unusable, before peering out at the scattered chaos of the stadium in search of a target. Her spinning red eyes drifted down into the arena bit and she bit her lip in anxiety.

_Sasuke…where are you?_

_…Please come back safe._

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke squared off against Sabaku no Gaara for the second time. It pleased him that the proctor had assigned him the task of dealing with this creep. He'd almost won the fight in the stadium, and now he was going to finish it.

It hadn't been easy getting this far. Gaara's siblings had done their best to spirit their homicidal younger brother away from the fighting. At first Kankuro the puppet freak had fallen back to try and delay him, but Shino the weirdo had arrived, determined to have his match with the war paint-wearing Suna-nin. And then Temari the fan girl had tried her luck against him, but Sasuke had found Gaara and now it was on.

Something seemed terribly wrong with Gaara, though. The boy was even more unbalanced than he had been in the arena—attacking his sister when she tried to urge him to run away and recover his strength instead of fight. And his sand…it covered part of his face and arm and had deformed him into something ugly and monstrous. One of his eyes resembled the freakish eye that had glared at him when he had run the _Chidori_ through the cocoon of sand.

_What is he?!_ Sasuke wondered as he struggled to dodge Gaara's wild charges.

The Suna-nin was faster than before. His attacks were wild and animalistic; only the power of his Sharingan kept him from getting pummeled. The wound that Gaara had taken to his shoulder didn't seem to be slowing him down one bit.

It didn't take Sasuke long to find that he was in trouble. Using the _Chidori_, chasing Gaara down, fighting Temari, and now using the Sharingan almost constantly was steadily draining his chakra. But the longer things went on, the stronger Gaara seemed to become.

And then the deforming sand armor spread and Gaara seemed to sprout an ugly tail-like growth from the base of his spine.

_That's it,_ Sasuke decided. _I'm going to have to use the _Chidori_ again. I can't keep this up much longer._

It was a huge gamble. His chakra was low, the _Chidori_ took a lot of energy, and he could only use the attack two times a day. He'd already used it once; this second shot was his last shot. If he didn't land a damaging enough hit with it…

_I can do it_, he thought fiercely. _I have to. I won't lose to a freak like him!_

Clenching his teeth, he used some exploding tags to open up the distance between them and began forming the jutsu. Once the smoke cleared, the deformed Gaara lunged at him, and Sasuke leapt off the tree trunk he'd been crouching on to meet him with his fist shrouded in lightning. Straining his Sharingan eyes, he darted in close and dragged the chirping electricity down along the giant sand-warped arm and towards the other boy's chest.

…It wasn't enough.

Sasuke felt light-headed and weak as he was knocked aside and crashed into a leafy branch below as Gaara howled in rage and pain. He tried to stand up, but his limbs failed him and it was all he could do to cling to the branch beneath him. He tried to gather his chakra, but his vision grayed and he nearly passed out.

He had nothing left.

Gaara staggered to his feet, both arms trickling blood.

"Uchiha Sasuke," the red-head growled, his voice warped by his distorted face. "You really are something. No one's ever made me bleed before—you've done it _twice_!"

The torn sand arm mended itself and the yellow-tan cancerous sand armor spread a little further over the boy's chest and back, consuming his sandstone gourd.

"Now…you will die and prove my existence!" the Suna-genin roared and charged.

Sasuke lay frozen and helpless, black Sharingan-less eyes staring in horror.

_No! No, I don't want to die! I still haven't killed Itachi! I—_

Gaara suddenly went spinning off to the side and crashed into a tree trunk.

Sasuke blinked, and found himself staring at the back of a black, orange-sleeved jacket with a large white circular spiral emblazoned on it just as the red-and-white _uchiwa_-style fan was sewn on the back of his own clothes.

_…Naruto?!_

* * *

Naruto gulped hard as he stared at what Sasuke had been fighting. It was hard to recognize Sabaku no Gaara; the red-head looked radically different from how he had looked back in the arena. His sand armor had thickened and distorted one whole half of his body, making him look like a nightmarish monster or an escaped mad science experiment.

Behind him, Naruto could hear Sakura frantically checking on Sasuke. Pakkun hung back with her; he wasn't a fighting type of Summon. Shikamaru had stayed behind a while back to take care of some pursuers Pakkun had detected…and could very well be dead for all Naruto knew.

He shoved thoughts of Shikamaru and everyone else out of his mind and tuned out Sakura, and focused on the dangerous boy in front of him.

_Man, he's gotten ugly,_ Naruto shuddered. _It kinda looks like his demon is bursting out of him or something. And this killing intent, this power…_

"Uzumaki Naruto," Gaara slurred, his mouth unable to speak properly as one half of it was twisted and drooling. "Get out of my way. Or I will kill you, too, and prove my existence!"

"If you want Sasuke, you're going to have to go through me first!" Naruto boldly declared.

"Then die!" Gaara roared and lunged.

Naruto tried to stop him with the _Fuuton_ attack he'd learned, but Gaara let his over-sized sand arm melt and curl around his body like a shield and easily plowed through the low-powered blast of air. Gaara casually slapped Naruto aside and made to strike at Sasuke again. However, he encountered another barrier to his prize.

"Move out of the way, girl," the red-head snarled.

"Sakura-chan?!" Naruto squeaked as he tried to shake off the hefty smack he'd taken.

Sakura had planted herself firmly between Gaara and Sasuke, a kunai clutched tightly with both hands. "I won't let you touch Sasuke-kun!"

Gaara actually seemed rather taken aback by her bold refusal to protect her teammate. "Why?"

"Get out of here Sakura," Sasuke panted. "He'll kill you!"

"No, I'm not going to run away!" Sakura declared, even as she trembled a little. "I won't let you hurt Sasuke-kun. He's my teammate and he's precious to me. I will protect him just as he would protect me!"

The monstrous Suna-nin hesitated, and then clutched at his head and screamed.

_What is wrong with this guy?_ Naruto wondered as he watched from a nearby branch. Then he shook himself. _Whatever. This is my chance!_

Naruto generated several _Kage Bunshin_ and rushed the incapacitated Jinchuuriki with kunai ready. The attack seemed to wake Gaara up and he destroyed the clones and knocked Naruto away with a swing of his sand tail and sand arm. Naruto managed to catch himself against a tree trunk and hurled a fistful of shuriken which dug into Gaara's sand arm and then fell off without causing any damage. Gaara then retaliated by swinging his grotesque sand arm and spraying a burst of small spinning sand disks that battered Naruto like tiny stone fists.

_This is bad. He's fast and he's strong…and with all that thick sand his defenses are better than ever. I can't seem to hurt him, and if he gets a hold of me he'll squish me into nothing._

_I need help._

He didn't have much choice but to use his new summoning contract. Even though he hadn't passed Gamabunta's test, he'd come close so maybe he could persuade the massive toad to help. At the very least, the giant amphibian might intimidate the crazy Suna-nin.

It was worth a shot.

Biting open the pad of his thumb, he gathered his chakra, made the seals, and slammed down his hand on a tree branch.

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!"

There was a burst of white smoke and…

"I'm not going to do anything for you unless you give me snacks!" a squeaky voice demanded.

The smoke cleared to reveal a small orange and blue toad wearing a blue vest jacket. It wasn't a tadpole, but…

"Aah! Who are you?! Where's Gamabunta?!" Naruto wailed, tearing at his hair in panic.

"I'm Gamakichi," the small toad replied. "What do you want my dad for?"

Naruto blinked. "Your dad?"

"Fight me so that I can kill you and prove my existence!" Gaara snarled and hurled more sand shuriken with another swing of his massive arm.

"Gah!" Naruto yelped and grabbed the little toad before lurching desperately out of the way.

_What went wrong?_ Naruto wondered as he tried to keep himself and little Gamakichi from getting creamed by Gaara and his demon sand. _With the fox's chakra, I should've been able to summon Gamabunta easy!_

**But you used your free chakra up in that battle with the white-eyed boy,** the Kyuubi smoothly interjected. **…Do you want **_**more**_**?**

_No…I don't need any yet,_ he decided.

When he'd struck his bargain, he'd meant what he said about depending primarily on his own strength. He didn't want to ask for more chakra unless their shared lives were at stake and he truly needed it. And things weren't quite that dire yet.

"Stop running away and fight me!" Gaara roared.

Sakura took the opportunity to launch some kunai at Gaara that were armed with exploding tags. Gaara's demonic sand armor easily absorbed the damage and shrugged it off. If anything, the attack made the demon sand spread down Gaara's other arm and reminded him that Sakura was another roadblock to his killing Uchiha Sasuke.

With a howl, Gaara darted back to Sakura and pinned her against the tree trunk near Sasuke with his massive sand claws. The sand spread halfway around the tree and then Gaara yanked his arms free, leaving the claws behind. Sakura struggled and wheezed but couldn't get free.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried.

"Sakura!" Sasuke panted.

"My sand claws will keep crushing her, bit by bit…" Gaara snarled. "Will you stand and fight me now?"

"Bastard!" Naruto hissed. _Ah, what am I going to do!_

Desperate, he dug around in his waist pouch and accidentally pulled out a letter bomb along with the kunai he'd meant to grab. He stared at it as his mind raced through strategies he'd seen other ninja use to see if he could adapt anything. He'd done it once before against Kiba when he'd ripped off the _Shishi Rendan_ using his _Kage Bunshin_ so maybe he could do it again…

_I could…_ He wrapped the letter bomb around the handle of the kunai and took a deep breath. _I'll do that then._

"Get off my head, Gamakichi," Naruto muttered. "I'm going in!"

"Good luck!" the toad yelped and leapt away to hide among the leaves. "You're gonna need it!"

"Hey Gaara!" Naruto shouted to his foe, whose face was now completely obscured by the sandy imperfect face of his demon. "You want to see what I learned from my sensei?"

* * *

Orochimaru was a slippery opponent in addition to being powerful, which made him a doubly dangerous target. Worse, Itachi was tired; he'd traveled several days without resting and his chakra was low. But the Uchiha fought on.

He didn't blame the ANBU for sitting on the sidelines and not helping him. Why would they? As far as they were concerned, he was just as much of a criminal as Orochimaru.

Whether he won or lost the fight with the snake Sannin, Itachi accepted the fact that he was most likely going to die.

It was a shame. He'd returned to the village bearing important information. With his death, it would be lost.

Hopefully he'd done enough damage to the Akatsuki organization for his lost information to not matter.

Narrowing his half-blind eyes, he managed to ensnare Orochimaru in a genjutsu just long enough to finish things. The Sannin thought he'd managed to land a hit with his Kusanagi on Itachi, but the Uchiha dissolved into ravens. Before he could recover, Itachi had buried a kunai into the back of his foe's neck, severing his spinal cord and wounding him badly enough that the paralyzed ninja bled out in a matter of minutes, gurgling and cursing as he went.

Itachi studied his victim for a moment and considered setting the corpse on fire. But his chakra was too low. Now that the fight was over, the fatigue that he'd kept at bay with sheer will hit him hard.

There was no point in trying to escape, so he simply took a few steps away from his kill and allowed himself to fall.

_It is over…for me, anyway._

* * *

Yakushi Kabuto flinched behind his stolen ANBU mask as he felt his master's chakra rapidly fade. Orochimaru wasn't running away. He was dying…and then dead.

The fighting in the arena had stalemated. Most of the Oto-nin in the stadium had been killed. The remaining Suna-nin faced down the remaining Konoha-nin down in the sunken arena pit.

With Orochimaru dead, the only real option was to retreat. If they stayed and tried to fight on, they would be annihilated. And if they somehow did win, what was the point? They had fought to conquer and destroy Konoha for Orochimaru (although the Suna-nin were unaware of this). Now that their leader was dead, there was no point in continuing.

Kabuto turned to Baki, the Suna-nin commander for this region of the battle, and passed him the retreat codes. Baki passed the orders along to the rest of his people, and they all withdrew. The Konoha-nin were too tired to give chase and let them withdraw mostly unmolested.

_I wonder what I should do now,_ Kabuto mused.

He could return to Konoha. He was a sleeper agent and his identity as such had not been revealed. If he wanted to, he could return to Konoha after ditching pursuit and his stolen ANBU gear and be a loyal Konoha-nin this time. With all the chaos of the attack, it was highly unlikely that it would ever be discovered that he'd been involved with anything. He'd kept his profile so low (and kept himself a genin) so that he wasn't like to have been missed.

_Or…I could go to the Land of Rice Paddies and take over Orochimaru-dono's experiments._

That idea was an attractive one. He loved research and experimenting, and leaving the village and its restrictions against human testing would give him much greater freedom in doing that. And to work on his master's brilliant theories and revolutionary techniques…it would be like a dream.

_…I shall go to Orochimaru-dono's facilities,_ he decided as he raced through the forest away from the village and towards the country's borders. _Kimimaro should be there…perhaps I can treat him. I will decide what I will do when I get there._

* * *

_This boy…what is his power?_

Uzumaki Naruto was weak. He was loud and clumsy and stupid. If he hadn't insisted on inserting himself in the fight, Gaara would've ignored him.

And yet the blonde clown had taken the worst that Gaara could dish out and was still alive.

Naruto had not only withstood the imperfect forms of his mother, he'd nearly beaten all of Gaara's sand off. Gaara had been forced to unleash Shukaku's perfect form, only to be matched when Naruto summoned a toad that was almost as big and carried a sword. The Suna Jinchuuriki even went so far as to put himself to sleep and fully unleash his mother's power…and Naruto woke him back up, locking Mother away again.

**Kill him!** Mother panted and raged. **Kill him! I was free, I was free, and he **_**stopped me**_**! Kill him! Kill him now Gaara-kun!**

Mother was tired. _Mother_ was _tired_. That never happened.

And still Naruto was standing.

"You will not erase my existence," Gaara growled and urged the massive sand body of his mother forward to try and crush the large pipe-smoking toad. "I'll kill you!"

The Konoha genin made a desperate lunge from the top off the toad's broad head, but Gaara stopped him just short with tendrils of sand from his mother's body. Sand bound his wrists, ankles, and waist, preventing him from moving. Catching his breath, Gaara gathered his waning chakra and urged the sand to envelop his foe…and crush him.

**Kill him! Squeeze all the blood out! Kill him!**

"C'mon, just a little more!" Naruto hissed as he strained against the sand.

Red flames of chakra burst from the blonde boy's skin with such force that it tore his coat open to bare his fishnet shirt and knocked his hitae-ate off his brow. The chakra was strange and hot and it vaguely reminded Gaara of his mother's chakra. It loosened the sand that bound the other boy whose clear blue eyes had turned red and slitted—

**KYUUBI!** Mother screamed, hysterical. **KYUUBI! Kill him before he gets free! KYUUBI! Gaara-kun—**

Naruto slammed his forehead into Gaara's and jarred him so badly that his fragile grip on his mother's chakra snapped and the giant sand body that he was connected to shattered and dissolved.

Gaara fell from the collapsing sand construct and landed in the springy leaves of the forest canopy. Naruto landed nearby. The giant toad left the same way it had appeared—with a burst of white smoke.

He could barely hear Mother who shifted wildly between urging him to kill Naruto and to run away. Gaara ignored his demon's rantings and ravings. He had to kill to prove that he existed, to feel alive. If he failed to kill Naruto, the blonde genin would kill him and erase his existence.

Gaara would not be erased.

The toad's giant knife vanished and both boys lunged to land one final blow. After landing their hits, they tumbled all the way down from the treetops to the forest floor. They lay on the dirt, both too battered and exhausted to stand.

Naruto rolled over and started to slowly crawl over to his foe.

Gaara couldn't move. He couldn't call upon his sand; distantly he felt his sand claws that were crushing the girl dissolve. The red-head was too tired.

But Naruto kept crawling closer and closer…

"Stay away," Gaara whimpered. "Stay away from me!"

"You and I," Naruto panted as he slowly, painfully crawled. "We're a lot alike. We both have monsters living inside of us. People hate and fear us. It's not fair.

"But I got lucky, and I had people that loved me and believed in me; people that never thought I was the monster that I contained. I have a mom—a real mom—and friends and teachers… I know there's more to life than killing—I have greater ambitions.

"I'm going to protect everyone precious to me. I'm going to prove to the whole village that I'm not a demon. And one day I'm going to be Hokage and protect the whole village!"

Naruto paused to catch his breath…and then he started crawling again.

"Maybe…we could've been friends. …I would like that. But…because you want to kill my friends…you're my enemy. If you don't let Sakura-chan go and leave Sasuke and everyone else alone…" The Konoha genin glared; his eyes were still blue, but they were slit-pupiled like a fox's. "…_I'll kill you!_"

Gaara trembled while the mad voice in his head wailed "Kyuubi" over and over in fearful despair—

Temari and Kankuro dropped from the trees, interposing themselves between Gaara and his creeping attacker. Neither had their primary weapons drawn, but Naruto was in bad enough shape for that not to matter. They could easily kill him with their bare hands.

Gaara stared at his siblings, dazed.

_Why? I've only ever hurt them. Why would they…?_

Wooden posts burst from the ground and formed a barrier between Naruto and the Suna-nin. An ANBU with a cat mask appeared and drew his short sword. Temari and Kankuro reflexively put their hands on their weapons.

"Surrender," the ANBU ordered.

There was a tense pause as Gaara's siblings hesitated—

The ANBU flipped behind the wooden barrier as a blade of wind slammed into the ground where he'd been crouching.

"Temari, Kankuro, grab Gaara and run!" Baki shouted.

Gaara flinched as his brother and sister gathered him up, jostling his injuries, and leapt away into the tree branches with him.

_Uzumaki Naruto…_

_"Maybe…we could've been friends. …I would like that."_

_…What is your power?_

_"I know there's more to life than killing—I have greater ambitions."_

_Could I be strong like you?_

_"I'm going to protect everyone precious to me. I'm going to prove to the whole village that I'm not a demon. And one day I'm going to be Hokage and protect the whole village!"_

_…Could I?_

He closed his eyes and sagged bonelessly in his siblings' grip.

"Temari, Kankuro…I'm sorry."


	12. Shattered

**Chapter 11:** _  
Shattered_

She was tired and battered and really needed a shower. There was a bandage on her cheek, bandages on her left forearm, and more bandages around her side that were hidden underneath the plain hospital nightgown. But Kushina was totally numb to her pain and exhaustion.

_…Why?_

The Yondaime lay in a hospital bed. Aside from small, irritated fang marks on his neck, there wasn't a scratch on him. The various monitoring machines that tracked his vital signs detected nothing wrong with him.

But he might as well be brain-dead.

_Orochimaru…_ Her fingers traced the complete lines of the seal that glowed malevolently on his forehead. _Of course it was Orochimaru…_

The fact that the snake bastard was dead brought her little comfort. The seal was complete now and the Hokage was worse than ever before. It was like losing him all over again, only worse.

She tried to look on the bright side. With the seal complete, Jiraiya had a much better chance of cracking it and successfully removing it completely and for good. So this nightmarish catatonic state that he was trapped in was only temporary. But…

_What if he can't? What if Jiraiya still can't find a way to cancel out the seal? What if he's stuck like this forever?_

Uzumaki Kushina was a tomboy. She did not cry often or easily. It was something of a point of pride for her.

But this was all just too much and so she buried her face into the unresponsive Hokage's shoulder and wept.

* * *

Nara Shikamaru trudged towards home after being cleared by the hospital. He hadn't suffered any serious injury, just bumps and bruises and moderate chakra exhaustion. All he needed was a few days rest, and he could get that just as easily at home as in the hospital and avoid taking up a bed that someone who was really injured could use.

It was like a waking dream as he traversed the village streets. Some parts of the village were pristine; untouched. The other parts were battered, broken, burned, and crushed to varying degrees. The fires that had been sparked by the fighting were mostly put out, but faint columns of smoke still wafted lazily up into the sky.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed as he passed a grim-looking family sweeping up the broken glass from their damaged store. _I never imagined I'd see such a thing. Not here in Konoha._

Halfway home, he encountered some familiar faces.

"Shika-kun!" Ino cried, ambushing him from around a corner. "You're alive!"

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered as Ino grabbed onto him tightly in relief.

"Don't you call me 'troublesome' you lazy bum!" Ino snapped and smacked his shoulder.

"Hey Shikamaru!" Chouji waved as he rounded the same corner as Ino had moment earlier. "Want a chip?" he asked and offered his open snack bag.

"Sure," Shikamaru sighed and gratefully accepted the snack. "So what are you guys up to?"

"Just looking around," Chouji answered. "It's hard to believe what happened…"

"…And that we slept through the whole thing!" Ino sputtered. "Why didn't anyone break the genjutsu on us? We could've helped too!"

"How?" Shikamaru snorted. "You weren't dressed for a fight, you didn't have any weapons, and you're rookie genin. Against well-armed chuunin- and jounin-level ninja who are out to kill you, how long do you think you would've lasted?"

That struck Ino silent for a minute…but only a minute.

"Well…then…why did they wake _you_ up, huh?" Ino huffed. "Why wake up a lazy ass like you to fight?"

"I was ready for a battle for one, and for another I was conveniently close by." Shikamaru sighed and started walking for home again. "You shouldn't be so disappointed at not getting to participate, Ino. If Asuma-sensei hadn't come to back me up, I would've died."

He thought back to his delaying action and shivered a little. He had eight adult Oto-nin pinned, a ninth loose and ready to kill him, and almost no chakra left. Only the surprise intervention of his usually laid back and peaceful sensei had kept his young life from ending prematurely.

It was the closest to dying he'd come so far.

His two friends moved to follow him. The blonde Yamanaka girl prattled on about her precious "Sasuke-kun" and how she was sure that he managed to do something wonderfully heroic during the battle and she wondered if he'd been hurt and so on. Chouji just munched on his potato chips.

_The battle is over,_ Shikamaru brooded as he headed for his home and his very comfortable bed. _But will there be a war?_

* * *

Returning to consciousness was like swimming through syrup, but she managed it. When Hinata opened her pale violet eyes, she found herself staring up at the dreadfully familiar ceiling of the hospital. She remembered what had happened to her in the stadium and whimpered softly in despair.

_I missed the end of Naruto-kun's fight. I missed __**all**__ of Shino-kun's fight. I failed to support them…and now I'm back in the hospital again._

Hinata's eyes watered and she started to cry…only to be startled by something.

Her chest didn't hurt anymore.

It was sore, but there wasn't the painful dragging feeling when she breathed too deeply. The stabbing pains were gone. The faint tang of blood in her mouth was gone. She felt better than she had before her disastrous preliminary match.

_I'm healed?_

Severe injuries from the Gentle Fist style could be tricky to treat. Unless the medic was incredibly talented, it usually took several treatments to repair all the damage. The ANBU medic that she very vaguely remembered from the stadium…had he been able to heal all the damage at once?

"Hey Hinata, you're awake!"

She turned her head to see Kiba sitting in a chair next to her hospital bed with Akamaru perched on his head.

"K-Kiba-kun?"

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked worriedly.

"Y-yes," she squeaked. "I f-feel much b-better."

"Great!" he grinned. "Whoever that ANBU was, he's an awesome medic!" Kiba frowned a bit. "It's kinda weird… I went to go thank him for helping out, but…I dunno what happened, I got knocked out somehow. I don't think it was the genjutsu that got me."

"G-genjutsu?" Hinata blinked.

"Yeah, apparently there was a genjutsu cast on the entire stadium!"

The Hyuuga girl grew even more confused. "What?"

"It happened at the end of the first round when Sasuke was fighting that Gaara guy from Suna," Kiba explained. "Naruto won his match—I missed how he did it because I stayed with you while the ANBU was healing you, but Shino can tell us all about it. Sasuke was late, so his match was postponed. Shino's match didn't happen because that Kankuro kid withdrew at the last minute. Shikamaru beat Temari. And then Sasuke shows up and has his fight, and then there was this genjutsu."

Hinata took a moment to absorb all of this information. "W-why was there a g-genjutsu?"

"From what I hear, Sound and Sand used the exams as a cover to launch an invasion," Kiba informed her grimly. "They used the genjutsu to neutralize as many people as possible and then they attacked. There's damage all over the village and there have been a lot of casualties. Shino got in on some of the fighting and got poisoned. He'll be okay," the dog boy hastened to add, "but the nurses won't let me visit him until tomorrow."

The Hyuuga heir was dumbstruck as she struggled to wrap her mind around such shocking events.

_What…what's going on?!_

* * *

Hyuuga Neji sat in the stadium infirmary, his legs still tingly and numb and his jaw still throbbing from Naruto's hit. His uncle had come to see him earlier, but had since departed to look after the clan and the village in the aftermath of some surprise attack. A letter laid in his lap; he'd read it several times already.

His uncle, a Main Family member and Head of the entire clan had bowed to him when he had visited. And not just bowed, but supplicated himself on the floor as he delivered the letter and apologized. For a member of the Main Family to bow and apologized to a Branch Family member that way—Neji would never have imagined such a thing.

And the letter…

It was almost like his long dead father was in the room with him, whispering the words written on the page into his son's ear. His father begged for forgiveness. He explained why had not just accepted his fate as a sacrifice, but volunteered. He wished for Neji to blame no one for what happened. And he encouraged his child to forge his own way and not worry so much about being a member of the Branch Family.

Neji closed his eyes and carefully folded up the letter.

He thought about his clan. He thought about his cousin and how he had treated her. He thought about his sensei and his teammates—Lee and Tenten—and how he had treated them.

The prodigy did not like what he found.

Neji thought back to what Naruto had said (_"The only thing that's holding you back is __**you**__!"_) and found that the Uzumaki was right.

* * *

Sasuke sat by his teammate's bedside and brooded. He should've been resting in his own bed across the room, but he'd scrapped together the energy to stagger over to a chair at the pink-haired girl's bed. He was too bored and troubled to just lie in his own bed.

_Stupid annoying girl,_ he thought sourly as he watched her sleep and heal from her crush injuries. _Why did she have to do something so stupid? She could've died…_

And for what? For a crush, for an idealized vision, for a fantasy? It was all so damn stupid. He knew he had some crazy fangirls, but this was just insane.

Worse, _she_ had to try and protect _him_. He wasn't strong enough. He'd taken too big of a gamble. And the both of them had needed the _village idiot_ to save them.

The Uchiha shifted in his seat and turned to view the occupant of the bed next to Sakura's.

Naruto had a few bandages taped to his face, but otherwise looked fine as he slept off his chakra exhaustion. It was hard to believe that this fool had saved both of his more competent teammates. And yet he had, and done so in an impressive fashion.

_How did he make all of those clones? How did he summon that giant toad? Where did he get the chakra to do all of that?!_

Sasuke had no answers and that bothered him a lot.

_I was hoping that the final exam would bring me some answers…and it's only given me bigger questions._

* * *

"And what is his condition?"

"Poor, but stable for the time being. He is physically exhausted, mildly malnourished and dehydrated, and his chakra reserves are dangerously depleted. His wounds are numerous but mainly superficial, and he may have been tagged once or twice by Orochimaru's snakes so we've given him some basic antidotes as a precaution. …With rest and fluids he should recover."

Morino Ibiki studied the doctor until the poor man started squirming. "Thank you, doctor. Continue treating him. Should he start to regain consciousness, sedate him. If his status changes, I want to know about it immediately."

"Of course, sir," the doctor nodded anxiously and hurried back to monitor his patient.

The scarred interrogation specialist stared emotionlessly through the one-way observation window as the nervous medical professional worked.

_Uchiha Itachi…_

Interrogating this infamous missing nin would be a challenge, and one he wasn't looking forward to. Ibiki loved his job and was very, very good at it, but Itachi was dangerous. Special precautions would be needed to make sure that the rogue Uchiha could not use his Sharingan eyes to escape or harm his interrogators.

Considering the crimes that Itachi was guilty of, under normal circumstances Ibiki would arrange to have the Hokage on hand. The man was a seal master—which would be highly useful in neutralizing the Sharingan—and the more he could learn about Itachi, the better a decision he could make on the rogue ANBU captain's fate. But circumstances were not normal, and so he sought to postpone the inevitable interview with Itachi as long as he could.

_If it becomes necessary, I will ask for Jiraiya-sama's assistance,_ he decided as he turned away from the observation window to return to his more immediate duties…interrogating the few Oto-nin and Suna-nin who had been captured.

_I wonder why he's come back… What are his motivations? Why would he slay Orochimaru as if he were still the loyal ANBU captain?_

He shook his head and smoothed out his trench coat.

_I will find out all that and more…eventually._

* * *

When Naruto woke up, it was dark. He tried to get up to go to the bathroom, but he sat up too fast and his aching head started to pound. Once his headache settled some, he got up more carefully and blundered around in the dark until he found a toilet.

After he finished relieving himself, he realized that he was in the hospital. He was battered and sore and physically exhausted, but he was alive. Everything seemed peaceful so the battle had to be over.

Naruto tried to find his way back to the hospital room that he'd woken up in, but he'd wandered down several different hallways in search of the restroom and he hadn't been awake enough to remember the route he'd taken. So he wandered aimlessly through the dimly lit halls in the vague hope of finding his way back eventually. It was very late—a wall clock he found said it was almost four in the morning—so he really didn't run into anyone.

Then he came across a room that had an ANBU posted by the door.

There were only two reasons that ANBU guarded hospital rooms. Either the occupant was an injured prisoner, or an important person in need of protection. So which case was this?

He didn't bother to ask the ANBU. He knew that they were supposed to speak as little as possible while on duty. If the patient wasn't somebody that he was supposed to see, the ANBU would stop him when he tried to peek inside.

He wasn't stopped.

The man in the room didn't seem to be badly hurt; he was just hooked up to a heart monitor and a few IVs. Naruto crept inside to see who it was and partly due to the poor light he didn't immediately recognize the man. When he realized who it was, he was shocked.

"Yondy-sama?!" he squeaked.

The Hokage didn't respond.

Naruto awkwardly clambered up onto the bed and shook the man's shoulder. "Yondy-sama?"

The blonde man simply stared unblinkingly off into the darkness at nothing.

An icy feeling penetrated his chest and settled deep in the pit of his stomach. "…Yondy-sama?"

Silence.

Terrified and reeling, Naruto curled up against the catatonic man's chest and tried not to cry.

What was wrong with the Yondaime? What had happened to the man who always smiled at him and would slip him candy behind his mother's back? Who could have possibly hurt the strongest ninja in the whole village?

_Yondy-sama…_

Naruto sniffled and carefully started checking over the Hokage for injuries. All he found was a small bandage on his neck, but it didn't seem that serious. And then he found something on the older man's forehead.

_A seal?_

It kind of looked like the "caged bird" seal that Neji had shown him, except it looked a whole lot uglier and meaner. It was red instead of green and seemed to glow a little in the dark room. He was certain that it hadn't been there before and even more certain that it was the cause of the problem.

_I can fix this,_ he thought.

Closing his eyes, he carefully gathered the red chakra (as it was technically the next day his reserve of free chakra had been refilled). He made the dragon seal, the tiger, the snake, and then the ram. And then he jabbed his finger right in the middle of the heart of the mysterious seal.

When he had destroyed the mark on Sasuke's neck, the mark had blistered and oozed a little blood and then the black swirls were gone and Sasuke spent a day sleeping it off.

That didn't happen this time.

The red markings flared brighter and then blisters started to form all over the Hokage's forehead. The lines of the seal started to ooze blood…a lot of blood. The man's eyes closed, squeezed shut as if in agony, and his whole body started to shake and twitch. The rhythmically beeping heart monitor started to go crazy—

Someone hit Naruto off the bed and he went flying into the wall, smacking his head hard. He slumped to the floor and started to black out…

The lights came on and doctors and nurses rushed into the room. There were loud panicked calls for drugs and needles. Everyone was afraid.

…The last thing that Naruto thought was that he had made a terrible, terrible mistake.


	13. Broken Youth

**Chapter 12:**  
_Broken Youth_

Naruto came to in a cell. It was barely bigger than a closet, with no windows, a wooden bench for a bed, a bucket for a toilet, and the only light came in through a small barred opening in the heavy metal door. He had hoped that he would still be in the hospital when he woke up, but seeing as he had assaulted the Hokage it had been a silly hope.

So he huddled up on the bench-bed and waited for his mom to come and get him.

There was a slot in the door so that the guards could just still the meal tray through it without having to open the door. They gave him fifteen minutes to eat whatever they gave him before demanding the tray back. The food sucked, and there was no way to tell if it was breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

After three meals, his mother hadn't come.

It was impossible to tell the time of day from the light that filtered into his cell. The only light came from a light bulb in the hallway outside of his cell. And the light was always on.

Three more meals and she still hadn't come for him.

There was no escape; not that he'd seriously tried to. He'd only tried to use his chakra to pass the time, maybe generate a clone or two for the company. But there were temporary seals on his ankles and wrists, preventing the fine manipulation of chakra.

Before it could be three more meals later, Naruto ran away the only way that he could.

* * *

_Naruto glowered at the cage in the cavern in the depths of his own mind._

_"Hey fuzzy jerk-face! What the hell?!"_

_A pair of glowing red eyes slowly opened and squinted down at him._

**"What?"**

_"What do you mean 'what'?" Naruto snarled. "Why did you let me have your chakra? Didn't you know I was going to do something dumb with it?!"_

_The fox was silent for a minute._

**"Little fool. Just because I live inside of you and speak within your mind does not mean that I can **_**read**__**your mind**_** and**_** see the future**_**."**_ The fox snorted._ **"Besides, isn't this what you wanted? A part of my chakra to use as you see fit without having to ask? It's yours to do with what you wish, regardless of how stupid it is."**_ The demon leered at him._** "I did warn you to use it wisely, Naruto-kun. Don't pin this debacle on me—it's entirely your own fault."**

_Naruto sagged and slumped to the damp cave floor._

_"…I know."_

**"I am not your conscience,"**_ the Kyuubi continued with a sneer._ **"I am your prisoner. I don't care what you do, so long as it doesn't result in us dying."**

_"…I understand."_

**"…Are you just going to sit there all day?"**

_Naruto shrugged. "Why not? At least there's company in here."_

**"True,"**_ the fox rumbled._ ** "…Now you've gotten a little taste of what it's like for **_**me**_** in here."**

_The boy nodded mutely—_

* * *

Naruto yelped and clutched at the back of his head.

"Shut up, I didn't hit you nearly hard enough."

The boy was about to protest when his eyes focused on his visitor: Jiraiya.

Not his mom.

The Sannin was not the cheery pervert. He was stone-faced and humorless. It was scary.

"Is…is Yondy-sama okay?" Naruto inquired timidly.

"…No," the white-haired giant answered. "They had to sedate him so deeply he might as well be in a drug-induced coma to keep him from seizing and hurting himself. The doctors worry that he might have suffered a stroke, but so far the tests are inconclusive. They can't tell if he's suffered any brain damage because of the interference of the leftover chakra that you pumped into him."

Without warning the man grabbed him by the collar of the hospital gown he was still wearing and pressed him up against the cold stone wall.

"What the hell did you do?!" Jiraiya snarled softly (he didn't yell; it might've been better if he'd yelled). "And what the hell were you thinking when you did it?!"

"I saw the seal on Yondy-sama and I thought that was the problem so I destroyed it," Naruto squeaked.

"How?" Jiraiya snapped. "What jutsu did you use?"

"I don't remember what it's called!" the genin sputtered.

"Describe it to me, then."

Naruto described it, miming out the hand seals as he listed them.

Jiraiya dropped him to the floor and stared at him in horror. "You used _that_?! The _Fuuin Kekkai_?!"

The blonde blinked. "Is that what it's called?"

"That technique is only to be used in the _direst_ of situations!"

"But it _was_ an emergency," Naruto frowned. "Konoha was just attacked and we need the Hokage to defend the village. How can the village go on without the Hokage?"

"You stupid little bastard!" Jiraiya seethed, tugging at his white hair. "Yes, the Hokage is important, but the situation wasn't precarious enough that we couldn't have waited to do it right!" The Sannin shook his head. "Let me make this simple for you. Think of that seal that was on his head as a complicated and very deadly trap. There are two ways to disarm it: either you take it apart piece-by-piece in the right order, or you blow it up and damn the consequences. _You blew it up_."

Naruto did his absolute best to melt into the floor.

"And as if that wasn't bad enough," the older ninja continued, "this seal was on his head—_over his brain_. You fry the brain, you kill the person. You blew up a seal on top of his brain…and you made it _even worse_ by using chakra from _the Kyuubi_! For you, that's not a big deal, you have immunity to the demon's power. To other people, the Kyuubi's chakra is_ poisonous_."

Naruto's eyes did their level best to pop out of his skull in horror.

"…Why did you use the Kyuubi's chakra, Naruto?"

"I…I just did everything the same as how I did it when I destroyed the weird seal on Sasuke's neck," Naruto muttered.

"…Wait, what seal on Sasuke's neck?"

"That Orochimaru guy bit Sasuke in the Forest of Death survival course and left a weird seal mark on his neck," Naruto shrugged. "It seemed like it was hurting him, so I removed it."

The Sannin stared at him. "Where did you learn the _Fuuin Kekkai_ anyway?"

"From a book I found under Mom's bed."

"A book under your mom's bed," Jiraiya muttered to himself. "Where did you put this book after you read it?"

"I put it back where I found it," Naruto answered.

"Alright," the Sannin sighed. "That's about all I needed to know. The Council hasn't decided what should be done with you yet, so you're stuck here until further notice. …See ya."

And then Naruto was alone again.

The boy shivered and crawled underneath the bench-bed. Now that he didn't have the presence of another human being to distract him, the only thing that he could do was think. And all he could think about was what he'd done…

When he'd been very little, he had been sure that Yondy-sama was his father. He liked the man, the man liked him; his mother liked the man, and the man liked her. Yondy-sama always let him sit in his lap, gave him Pocky, let him color in the Hokage's office, and all sorts of stuff like that. Naruto had never asked his mother if this was true, he simply assumed it to be so. It made perfect sense to him.

And then he learned a few crucial things about dads. A dad lived in the same house as the mom and the kids. A dad slept in the same bed as the mom. A dad was married to the mom. A dad had the same family name as the mom and the kids.

Yondy-sama lived in a different house than he and his mother, and therefore slept in a different bed. The Hokage was not married, to Naruto's mother or to anyone else. The Yondaime had a different family name than Naruto and his mom.

Then, when Naruto was ten, he finally decided to ask his mother about his father and she told him that his father was "lost" (or…something like that—he didn't recall her exact words) which he took to mean that his dad was dead—and that pretty much was the final nail in the coffin for the idea that the Hokage was his father.

But even though the Yondaime wasn't his father, he was the closest thing to a father that Naruto had ever had…and he had probably killed him.

Uzumaki Naruto curled up into a miserable ball and sobbed himself to sleep.

* * *

Kushina sat in the shadows at the edge of the Ninja Council chamber and did her best to take notes while not snapping and killing someone. The Council was a big headache on the best of days. But without the Hokage to moderate and guide the debates the proceedings constantly teetered on collapse.

The first meeting had been the worst. Danzou tried to throw her out of the room as she had no seat on the Council, and with the Hokage out of commission there was no reason for her to be there. She was then forced to waste several hours of the Council's time arguing with the bastard that she should be allowed to be present to take notes for the absent Hokage so that she could brief him (or his successor if one turned out to be necessary).

Then Danzou had spent the rest of that meeting (and as much of each subsequent meeting as he could) pushing for war with Suna in retaliation for breaking their treaty and demanding custody of Naruto as _obviously_ his mother was doing a horrible job of controlling him. As she was only there for the purpose of taking notes, she really couldn't butt in and tell him just what she thought of his ideas and what he should do with them. All she could do was bite her tongue and pray to whatever gods were listening that some other members of the Council would prevail over him.

There was no relief after the meetings when she went home. Rumors traveled close to the speed of light and it took less than a day for the entire village to have some idea of what Naruto had done to the Hokage. So not only was she going home to an apartment empty of her son, she was going home to an apartment that had been vandalized to some degree while people stared nastily at her and whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

It was probably for the best that Naruto was trapped in a holding cell in the bowels of ANBU headquarters. If Naruto had simply been released into her custody she would've probably—as much as she hated to admit it—done her best to strangle him. And if he was free to roam about in public, there would be at least one lynch mob a day after him.

But Naruto couldn't stay locked away in ANBU prison indefinitely. The longer he stayed there with nothing to do and no one but his demon to talk to, the greater the likelihood that he would go insane. And not only did she not want to see her baby (no matter how stupid and reckless he was) go insane, it was unspeakably dangerous because he contained the single most destructive force known to man.

_How to spring him without looking like his out-of-touch mother who doesn't believe he did anything wrong and keep him safe from the angry masses at the same time…_

"I propose an hour lunch break," Inuzuka Tsume growled. "We're not getting anything done and I'm starving."

The Council quickly agreed (breaking for food was the only thing that they seemed able to agree on without hours of arguments) and the various members filtered out of the room in small groups as they sought fresh air and food.

Kushina sighed deeply and set down her notebook and pencil as she dragged herself to a nearby balcony. It was a disgustingly nice day outside, and instead of lifting her mood it made her feel crummier. Maybe it was because, as she looked out over the village, she could still easily see the damage left behind by the Sand-Sound sneak attack.

"What book do you keep under your bed?"

She turned to Jiraiya with a frown. "Book? I don't keep any books under my bed."

"Well Naruto found one under there, and it's what gave him the jutsu that he used on Minato's head. He said he put it back where he found it."

"I'll look into that," Kushina promised. "…How…how was he?"

"Bored, mainly. No one told him anything." The Sannin sighed. "I think he's starting to resort to communing with the fox to pass the time."

She clutched at the balcony railing with a death grip. If Naruto talked too much with the fox and not enough with other people, the fox had the chance of manipulating her son. In the most nightmarish scenario, the fox would be able to convince him to release the seal that bound it…

"I'll see what I can do to spring him," Jiraiya grumbled. "How are the discussions going?"

"Nowhere," Kushina sneered in disgust. "Danzou, Koharu, and Homura press for more extreme actions, and the rest are more hesitant. The Council has managed to decide to 'wait and see' about the conflict with Suna, but that's pretty much it. Everything else—what to do about the Hokage, what to do about Naruto, how best to get the village back on track—is completely up in the air."

"Great," Jiraiya grunted. "Looks like I'll have to actually sit in on a few meetings."

"How sad," she snorted. "Those poor pretty girls at the hot springs while have to go without your secret attentions for a little while."

The Sannin sniffled dramatically. "Don't remind me."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to get some lunch. The meeting starts up again in forty-five minutes."

"May I join you?"

Kushina scrutinized the white-haired man for a minute. "So long as you promise to pay for your own food, sure."

"Deal!" he grinned.

"Promise it," she insisted.

Jiraiya pouted. "I promise to pay for my own meal."

"Good," she smirked. "Now let's go."

* * *

Naruto had stopped keeping track of the number of meals he'd received. There wasn't any point in it. He was stuck in his cell for as long as he was stuck.

_Yondy-sama…I'm sorry._

If he only he could undo what he'd done… He would give up whatever was necessary to fix things. He'd give up his dream to be Hokage; he'd give up his ninja career.

The boy curled up tighter on his wooden bed and whimpered.

His mother wasn't going to come for him. She loved Yondy-sama, had dedicated her life to serving him, and he had destroyed him. His mom would forgive him for a lot of things, but she wasn't going to forgive him for this.

The village definitely wasn't going to forgive him. Everyone loved the Yondaime and respected him. And everyone hated and feared him for the Kyuubi.

All the work that he had tried to do to prove that he wasn't the fox was undone.

The door groaned open and a pile of clothes landed on Naruto's head.

"Get up and get dressed," Jiraiya grunted.

Naruto hurried to obey. He shucked the hospital gown and tossed it in the corner where he'd thrown the bandages that he'd removed earlier when he found that he didn't need them anymore, and quickly pulled on his own clothes. Before he could get his sandals on, the Sannin released the chakra seals on his wrists and ankles. Naruto looped his hitae-ate around his neck instead of around his forehead partly out of shame and partly because his forehead was still a bit sore from head-butting Gaara.

When he was all dressed, Jiraiya tossed a backpack at his feet.

"It took a lot of convincing, but the Council has agreed to hand you over to me," Jiraiya informed him. "That means that your ass is mine until further notice."

Naruto took the backpack and nodded mutely.

"I have an assignment to find an old friend of mine, so that means you have to tag along," Jiraiya continued. "I expect you to be on your best behavior and obey me, you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Naruto nodded.

No more "Ero-Sennin." It would be "sir" or "Jiraiya-sama" from now on. He'd lost the privilege.

"We leave now," the Sannin announced.

And then they left.

It was dark outside. That meant it was either very late, or very early. Naruto had no idea which it was; he'd been trapped in his timeless cell too long.

There wasn't a soul around. The streets they walked were empty and dark. It was eerie.

His mother waited for them at the village gates.

She looked tired and worn and there was a scabbed-over cut on her cheek; some bandages covered her forearm. She didn't look happy, or angry. Instead, she just looked sad and disappointed.

Somehow that was worse than her being angry at him.

"Do your best," was all that she said to him.

"Find her and bring her back as soon as you can," was all that she said to the Sannin.

And then they were through the gates and out of the village. No hugs, no kisses, no warnings to stay safe. Just a grim march into the pre-dawn forest.

"Who are we looking for?" Naruto eventually asked as the sun started to rise.

"Senju Tsunade," Jiraiya answered. "She is the granddaughter of the Shodai, grandniece of the Nidaime, student of the Sandaime, and my old teammate. She is one of the greatest medics in the world…and if she cannot heal the Hokage, she will take his place."

* * *

Kushina stared through the village gates long after Jiraiya and Naruto were out of sight. She stayed through the changing of the gate guards. She only left when the sun was high enough in the sky to signify that it was time for her to head to work.

She thought back to the book that she had found under her bed. A mediocre housekeeper at best, she always forgot to clean under the bed, so it was disgustingly dusty under there with various lost socks and things hidden away there. The book was probably one of the oldest things she found down there, and she hadn't even known that it was in her apartment.

It was an advanced text on seals. It wasn't hers. At first she thought it was a long-lost library book that she'd checked out and forgotten about…but writing she found on the inside cover eliminated that vague theory.

_Property of: Namikaze Minato._

* * *

***

_Fuuin_ (Seal) _Kekkai_ (break (rip) down)


	14. Broken Village

**Chapter 13:** _  
Broken Village_

Jiraiya waited until they'd traveled for a day before he started the training. The stupid brat didn't deserve it, after what he'd done. However, the kid was going to be hunted by a lot of powerful people and to keep the Kyuubi from falling into their hands he was going to need to be able to defend himself.

"Alright kid," he grunted as they left a small village neighboring Konoha. "If you want to mess with seals, you're going to learn how to do it right." The Sannin removed a hefty book from his pack and dumped it in the blonde boy's arms. "Start studying that tonight."

"Yes, sir," Naruto meekly agreed.

"But during the day, I have something else for you to do." Jiraiya stopped walking and fixed the genin with a stern look. "You don't deserve to learn what I am about to teach you. However, this technique would take even a genius a long time to learn. Letting you tackle it should keep you out of trouble for the entirety of this trip and then some."

The boy flinched.

"Now, there are three steps to learning this jutsu," the white-haired man continued. "I will show you the first step and when you can replicate it, I'll show you the next step."

He carefully removed a water balloon from his pocket and cradled it in the palm of his hand.

"Here is step one."

* * *

Kushina ran through her morning routine, eager to escape her apartment. Normally she loved her nice little two-bedroom abode—it was perfect for her and Naruto. But without her son around, and with the reasons for his absence so grim, her happy home felt cold and empty.

Outside her front door, she found fresh evidence of angry vandals.

When Naruto had been small, waking up to hateful graffiti sprayed on her door, poisoned food, hate mail, explosive packages, and the odd fox carcass on her doorstep was a daily occurrence. She had gotten into the habit of getting up extra early to take care of the mess before Naruto had the chance to see any of it. Eventually, it happened less and less frequently until by the time Naruto was in school, it only happened around the time of his birthday—the hated anniversary of the fox's defeat and the beloved Sandaime's death.

With Naruto's recent blunder, the vandals were back in full force. This morning's decoration was a fox skull with a large kitchen knife stabbed through the brain case, withered funeral flowers, a few crumpled threatening notes, and some fresh curses spray-painted on the outside of her door. As Naruto was away, she didn't bother to do anything with the door and simply gathered up the hateful offerings to dump in the building dumpster on her way out.

After taking out the trash, she tightly gripped her tea thermos and headed off to work at the Tower…with a brief detour.

On her way to the hospital, Kushina distracted herself by remembering how Jiraiya had worked his magic over the Council. With the ladies his persuasion was hit-or-miss…mostly miss. But when facing down the clan heads and ninja elders that formed the Council, he performed magnificently.

At first, they wanted _him_ to consider taking over the office of Hokage. He was the student of the Sandaime, the teacher of the Yondaime, and a legend in his own right. But he had turned the tables on them and made a convincing case for Tsunade—a woman who might heal the current Hokage, and who had an even more impressive pedigree to take over village leadership in necessary.

And then he had thrown in the request for Naruto.

That had been the trickier debate to win. The Council didn't want to deal with Naruto, but they also didn't want him out of their sight. It had taken hours for Jiraiya to win enough of them over to his point of view.

Next to the late Sandaime and Yondaime, he was best-suited to overseeing a Jinchuuriki with his great knowledge of seals. He was a strong and experienced ninja who had successfully taught his own brood of students; he knew how to handle kids. And if he took Naruto out of the village, they wouldn't have to worry about the civil unrest brought on by his presence, or punishing him because Jiraiya swore to take care of that.

Uneasily, they had granted his request, and for the most part had happily forgotten all about Naruto.

_Ungrateful bastards,_ she thought blackly as she entered the hospital lobby. _They don't appreciate Naruto for imprisoning the fox. At best, they see him as an abomination—a mark of shame. At worst, he is the demon incarnate._

She navigated the halls the busy hospital, dodging scurrying nurses and wheelchairs. The building was still overfilled with ninja recovering from injuries sustained in the attack barely a week prior. The only real difference that Kushina could see was that the halls were slightly less chaotic.

Security had been beefed up since Naruto's ill-fated visit to the Hokage's room. Instead of a single ANBU at the door and one on the roof guarding the window, there were now two guarding the door and another two on the roof. When she entered the Yondaime's room, one of the door guards followed her inside to watch her every move.

Kushina ignored the intrusive shadow and put her full focus on her stricken boss.

The bandage on his neck was gone as the snake bite had healed, but now he had bandages on his forehead. Underneath, there were stubborn chakra burns that resisted the doctors' attempts to heal them faster. There was a tube shoved up his nose and down his throat so that his inert body could be fed and kept alive. There were more IVs in his arm, saturating his system with sedatives that kept him so deep under that he almost needed a machine to breathe for him. Knowing that Tsunade was coming, the doctors had decided to keep him unconscious until the great healer arrived to deal with him.

The Yondaime looked deceptively peaceful as he lay in the bed. His eyes were closed now instead of half-open and staring blankly into space. His breaths were sluggish, but regular, as was his heart rate. She would've thought he was just very deeply asleep if she didn't know better.

After watching him for a few minutes, she gently brushed at his blonde bangs before turning to leave for the Tower and keep it running without him.

_I love you, Minato. If you die…I'll be royally pissed off! I'll track you down in the next life and beat the ever-living crap out of you!_

_…So you'd better not die._

* * *

The hallway echoed with the taps of his cane as Danzou slowly marched towards the secret door that was one of the gateways to the forgotten underground tunnels that formed a labyrinth beneath the village. They were formed by dead lava tubes that had been reinforced against collapse with wood the same way that mineshafts were shored up. The tunnels had been built up at the time of the village's founding, but almost immediately forgotten by most people.

It was the perfect base for ROOT.

Never mind that that division of the ANBU had been formally disbanded—the members of his organization were still loyal. So long as Danzou still lived and breathed, ROOT would exist. And Konoha was all the stronger and safer for it.

Danzou came to the secret door and waited. When he was certain that he hadn't been followed, he channeled some chakra into a spot on the wall and the door swung open. The crippled ex-ninja carefully stepped through into the darkness and shut the door behind him.

Service to his village had demanded a great deal. He had lost an eye, part of his arm, and crippled his leg. His body was covered in all kinds of scars. But he would do it all over again and more if necessary.

_Konohagakure no Sato_ was his home and the greatest ninja village in the world. He would protect it with his life and soul. He would spend all his energy strengthening and glorifying his village.

There was nothing he would not do to achieve his goals and defend the Leaf.

As he journeyed through the dark, he mused over a great many things. Orochimaru's strike had done a great deal of damage. The destruction of infrastructure was manageable and not much of his concern. What interested him were the personnel losses.

His forces had not suffered overly much, nor had the rest of ANBU. But the chuunin and the genin of the village had taken moderate casualties. And the Hokage was down, with a good chance of being dead.

He had wanted to be Hokage once. He still wanted to be Hokage. Holding the highest leadership position in the village would allow him to protect and guide the village most easily and effectively.

But people were leery of having a cripple as Hokage. They preferred a young, handsome, whole man, even if that man happened to be a mental imbecile. Danzou was the opposite: a physical cripple with a whole mind.

He was the better choice by far.

When the Yondaime had first ascended to power, Danzou had allowed it because the Namikaze would be easily influenced. Namikaze would be the perfect puppet so that Danzou could guide the village into prosperity from the shadows. But Jiraiya and Kakashi had done their best to interfere. And then _that woman_ had appeared.

Uzumaki Kushina… She was a foreign ninja, which made her untrustworthy. And with the Hokage wrapped around her little finger and the host of the Kyuubi her loyal son, she was one of the most powerful and dangerous people in the Land of Fire, and perhaps the entire ninja world.

His remaining eye narrowed as he neared the chamber that he treated as his office.

He had been trying to subtly oust that woman for years. First he sought to strip her of her son and mold him into a loyal servant of the Leaf. Then he attempted to separate her from the weakling Hokage.

But she stubbornly hung on to the boy and clung to the Hokage's coat.

_The Yondaime is disabled now, perhaps gone forever; she no longer has his protection,_ Danzou mused. _And with the vessel's disgrace, she will have even greater difficulty getting the boy back and keeping him. …I can use this._

If he could bind her to him—offer her protection and the uncontested custody of the boy for her loyalty—he could gain access to the demon host. Once he'd built up a relationship with the child, he could quietly dispose of the mother and get the boy all to himself to mold and shape as necessary. And then he would have the most dangerous and unpredictable power in the village safely under his thumb.

_It's all a matter of planning it out right,_ he nodded to himself as he eased down into a padded chair. _The right plan and the right situation…_ Danzou briefly smiled. …_With a little luck, I shall tame the raging whirlpool._

And so the spider began to repair and re-weave his subtle webs.

* * *

Hinata held a box of nails for Shino while he worked to repair the roof of the building they were assigned to. Akamaru held another box of nails for Kiba. They were on a D-rank mission, assisting in the repairs of the village, and their sensei was off on some other mission without them.

She was relieved to finally feel better, and glad to finally be of some use again. It had been so frustrating to sit by the previous weeks with her lungs burning from the slightest exertions. It was worse knowing that her teammates were training without her, and she was falling behind.

But she was healed now, and once again a working part of Team 8.

Nearby a crew of professional carpenters worked. They were in charge of the work site and made sure that the genin help that they'd received did things right. While Team 8 had to focus on what they were doing to avoid mistakes, the carpenters chatted freely as they slaved away.

Hinata didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she and Shino were only a few yards from a pair of the burly workmen and they didn't do much to be quiet.

"…'m not joking! My sister-in-law works in the hospital. That whiskered monster _burned his face off_!"

"Huh. I knew that freak was trouble. Hell, we _all_ knew it was trouble. But Hokage-sama had to let it live and now it's gone and bitten him on the ass!"

"Why would Hokage-sama let that thing get so close to him anyway?"

"I hear that it enchanted him—used its cute human face to trick Hokage-sama into letting his guard down. Heck, if you saw it on the street and didn't know what it really was, would _you_ find it threatening? If not for those stupid whisker marks it would look like any other kid."

Hinata resisted the urge to turn her head and stare directly at them.

_Are they talking about…Naruto-kun?_

It kind of sounded like it. Naruto was the only person she knew who had any kind of whisker-like markings on his face. But…why would these men—total strangers—refer to him as some kind of thing—_monster_?

She discretely activated her Byakugan to watch them.

"But…Hokage-sama's a _ninja_! He's a smart, smart guy! How could he fall for a cute face like that?"

"It's easy when you remember what's hiding _behind_ that face. A thing like that—"

"Shut up, will you?" a third man—the head carpenter, Hinata noted—snapped. "We can't talk about that. …Besides, I was in the stadium. That kid ain't nothing but another ninja. Now get back to work!"

The men seemed cowed and reapplied themselves to their work.

Hinata was about to relax her eyes and refocus herself as Shino's assistant when the two men leaned in and started to whisper.

"I say we burn it out. Set fire to its den. It's no secret where it lives."

"Doesn't it live with some woman?"

"Forget her! She's some foreign wench—she _protects_ it! She's just as under its thrall as Hokage-sama was."

"Fine, let's talk more about it tonight. I don't wanna get in more trouble with the boss."

"Deal."

Hinata trembled. Were they talking about Naruto? Were they really going to set a fire? Why?!

She turned to ask—

Shino's hand on her wrist startled her and stopped her.

"Do not confront them," he ordered softly. "Doing so will only interrupt our mission which—although D in rank—is paramount to the village at this time. I have sent some insects to track them."

Hinata swallowed hard and nodded, and handed him another nail.

Why would those men talk that way? Had Naruto been the "whiskered monster" they spoken of? Why would they hate him? What could Naruto have possibly done that was so bad?

And _where_ was Naruto anyway?

She always kept her eyes out for the blonde boy and could usually get a peek at him once or twice every few days. But it had been a whole week since the Chuunin Exams had ended in disaster and she hadn't gotten a single glimpse of his spiky blonde hair or orange-sleeved black jacket. All healthy genin were on repair duty, so he should be around doing D-ranks like everyone else…

_Naruto-kun, where are you?_

* * *

Sasuke scowled as he painted a newly-refurbished storefront. As if it wasn't bad enough that he was back to doing lousy D-rank missions, he was stuck with Sakura and no Naruto or Kakashi. When he'd asked the _dobe_'s mother where he was when the pair of them drew painting duty, she'd said that he was out of the village on some kind of assignment.

_How is it that he gets to leave the village while the rest of us are stuck back here?_ the Uchiha fumed. _Why just send him and not all of Team 7? I'm all recovered, and so is she…_

"Um, Sasuke-kun?"

The boy resisted a wince and turned to stare at his pink-haired teammate. _What does she want now? She'd better not ask me out again. I'm not in the mood…_

"I…" she squeaked nervously. "I never got the chance…to thank you…for saving me."

Sasuke frowned. _What?_

"…From Gaara's sand," she added anxiously when he kept staring at her in confusion.

The Uchiha turned away and grimaced like he'd bitten into an exceptionally sour lemon. "I didn't save you. Naruto did."

It was a hard admission to make. Sakura had been hurt because of him. She had almost died while he lay helplessly by, unable to save her. If Naruto hadn't managed to defeat Gaara, she would be dead.

The silence didn't bother Sasuke—he preferred to work in silence—but Sakura seemed to be very uncomfortable with it and tried to strike up more conversation.

"I was kind of surprised that Kushina-san said that Naruto was off on a mission."

He didn't even bother to grunt as he kept on painting.

"Because…well…the other day I overheard my mom on the phone talking about how Naruto was in jail."

Sasuke's paintbrush froze mid-stroke. "What?"

"Well, my mom always calls Naruto 'that awful boy' and she was telling someone on the phone how 'that awful boy' had finally been thrown in jail," Sakura hurriedly explained. "I tried to ask her about it, but she just shooed me out the door and told me to forget about it."

The Uchiha snorted. "That sounds like a stupid rumor to me. Do you really think the Hokage's Pet would actually do something bed enough to land in jail?"

Sasuke had come up with the mocking nickname shortly after the three of them had been stuck together as Team 7. Naruto had always talked about the Hokage and how awesome he was and how the village leader would sometimes give him candy and stuff like that. When their team had been officially confirmed, and the first few D-ranks afterwards, Sasuke saw that the blonde wasn't making stuff up about being so friendly with the Yondaime. Playing off the idea that pets and owners tended to resemble one another, he started calling Naruto the 'Hokage's Pet'. Not only did Naruto and the Hokage look eerily alike, Naruto also had those weird whisker-like markings. Naruto was the cute little puppy-pet, and the Hokage was the owner.

"I…I guess not," Sakura shrugged. "But…why would someone make up a story like that?"

"Hn," Sasuke grunted and got back to painting. _Who cares?_

"I wonder…" Sakura muttered as she also got back to painting the building. "Why does my mom not like Naruto? I mean…she _never _liked him. The first day I told her about him asking me out back in the Academy, she looked angry and called him 'that awful boy.' It's weird…"

"Hn," Sasuke snorted at her nervous ramblings.

That _was_ weird, but he wasn't interested in talking about it. He just wanted to finish painting so that he could get to training. Naruto's triumph over Gaara where he had failed showed him that he was slacking off somehow, and he needed to catch up badly.

* * *

Uchiha Mikoto sliced some tomatoes in preparation of making Sasuke his favorite meal: tomato-stuffed _onigiri_. But her mind wasn't entirely on the culinary exercise. There was too much bothering her.

First and foremost was Itachi.

An anonymous message, probably from some ANBU who had been friends with an Uchiha who Itachi had slaughtered, had informed her that her elder son had been captured during the Sound-Sand attack. It didn't tell her how this had been accomplished, or why Itachi had returned to the village. After reading it, she burned it.

The last thing she wanted was for Sasuke to know. She knew of her younger son's driving desire to kill his older brother and avenge the death of most of their clan. She had tried to encourage other goals, like being the best ninja that he could be so that he could lead the clan one day, or find a nice girl so that he could help rebuild the clan's numbers. Sasuke never seemed terribly receptive to her suggestions.

She feared what he might do if he learned that his brother was back in the village and within his reach.

Her greatest nightmare was of her two babies facing off and fighting to the death.

Shivering, she gathered up the diced tomatoes and started to fold them up in the sticky rice.

_Sasuke must never know. He's only just now seemed to find some friends, some other reason for growing stronger. If Sasuke finds out, it will all be destroyed… _

* * *

Jiraiya frowned as he watched Naruto diligently studying the text he'd been given by the campfire. The boy had attacked his _Rasengan_ training with a fierce but quiet intensity. And now he was doing the same with his education on seals.

But he was being too quiet.

When Naruto had thrown himself into summoning, he'd always been saying something. He cursed, he swore he'd get it this time, he demanded to know what he was doing wrong. The kid was simply noisy—a trait clearly inherited from his mother.

Now it seemed he'd done his best to muzzle the Uzumaki in him. And considering the situation, Jiraiya was very worried. This wasn't really healthy.

Even more worrisome was the boy's radical change in attitude. He expected the boy to be a little subdued considering what he'd done, but being polite and respectful (when the boy had called him "Jiraiya-sama" earlier he'd nearly had a small heart attack) and submissive was a bit much. And he was still wearing his hitae-ate around his neck instead of on his brow like he usually did.

_I wish I could've taken Kushina with me,_ he sighed. _This mess needs a woman's touch to get sorted out. …Maybe Tsunade can help._

But finding Tsunade was a while off still; they were only a few days out from Konoha. With her bitterness towards the village, she'd be much further away and gambling her heart out. Even so many years later he was sure that she'd still be at it. He knew her, and the look in her eyes as she'd walked away that day…

The Sannin sighed and leaned back against a tree trunk as the campfire crackled and popped.

_If memory serves, they'll be a small festival going on soon in that one village,_ he mused as he considered the towns he was going to visit on his search. _While I sniff around for information on Tsunade-hime, I'll let the kid screw around. Hopefully that'll get him to loosen up, be a bit less grim._

_He blew it big time…_ He thought of Minato and shuddered. _He really screwed up, but I want him to learn from it…not be destroyed by it._


	15. Broken Smile

**Chapter 14:** _  
Broken Smile_

Kabuto was disappointed. In spite of his best efforts, Kimimaro was dying. The ninja had already been ill with some undetermined wasting disease, but the shock to his system of losing the curse seal with Orochimaru's death and the news of his master's demise was rapidly speeding his deterioration.

It was a real shame. Kimimaro was the last living example of his bone-based _kekkei genkai_. Orochimaru had wanted to use his body as his next vessel until the young man had fallen ill and the rogue Sannin had decided to try and ensnare an Uchiha. But Kabuto was determined to not let the last Kaguya go to waste.

He had collected many blood and tissue samples from the fading young man. Working from some of Orochimaru's old notes on the Sannin's attempts to infuse the Shodai's _Mokuton_ powers into test subjects, he hoped to save Kimimaro's unique power. Or perhaps he could find a way to grow some kind of flesh-and-blood permanent clone.

That wasn't the only project he was working on. Orochimaru had many fascinating experiments running in his hidden base in the agricultural Land of Rice Paddies. And Kabuto had found notes that related to experiments tucked away in other bases in other small countries.

_So much to do,_ Kabuto sighed as he examined a blood sample. _Orochimaru-dono has left enough to keep me busy for years._ He adjusted his round glasses and smiled.

_I don't think I'll ever return to the Leaf…_

* * *

All living things possess a small amount of chakra. What makes ninjas special is the ability to conscious control and mold this energy and expand their reserves of this energy through training. But all living creatures possess chakra and need it to survive. If it is drained away, the target would fall unconscious and could even die.

A pair of slightly inebriated men crept through the village streets in the dead of night, a few containers of lighter fluid in their hands and matches in their pockets. They'd been planning their actions for several days and had downed a little liquid courage to steady their nerves. They aimed to set fire to the den of a demon and—even though the demon was locked up in prison—it was a dangerous act.

Neither noticed a few insects land on their clothes and crawl inside to reach their skin. They didn't notice when they started to slow down—putting the blame on the alcohol that they'd consumed. More insects crept upon them, and more, and when they finally noticed they only had seconds before they passed out.

Shino, his father, and an uncle materialized out of the shadows and approached the unconscious civilians. The two older Aburame examined the men, noting the matches and flammable liquid. Shino stood by as his insects returned to the safety of their human hive.

"It is as you reported," his uncle stated. "Two civilians intent on committing arson. The evidence bears this out. You have done well in preserving the order of the village, Nephew."

"Your execution of the stealthy chakra drain was excellent," his father added. "Well done."

"Thank you uncle, father," Shino nodded, accepting their simple praise.

"We shall take them to the jail and submit our report to the Tower," Shino's father decided.

There was no argument as each adult Aburame took a civilian and Shino carried the evidence of their intended crime.

Team 8 had kept their eyes on the arson-minded carpenters for several days between D-rank assignments. Kiba had been openly annoyed with the chore, even when Shino had framed it as surveillance training, but had gone along with it when Hinata had begged him. For a while it seemed like they wouldn't go through with their threat to "set fire to its den," but then when Shino had been watching over them alone, they had made their move and he had reported it to his clan.

When Team 8 gathered in the morning to be handed their next village-rebuilding mission, he would inform them of his success in neutralizing the threat. Kiba would be glad that he and Akamaru wouldn't be stuck sniffing after smelly carpenters. Hinata would be relieved that the arsonists had been foiled and Naruto's home protected.

…But Shino was not fully satisfied.

While observing the two civilians, it became crystal clear that Naruto was the source of their hatred and it was also clear that they truly believed he was some kind of monster. Why they believed this to be so was a mystery. And whatever he had done to drive these men to action was also unclear, although their conversations implied that they believed that Naruto had somehow harmed the Hokage.

As soon as the opportunity presented itself, Shino decided to ask his father about what was going on—and in the meantime he would keep his ears open to gather further information so that he would be better prepared for the future conversation…

* * *

Mikoto swallowed a sigh of relief as another torturous meeting of the Village Council concluded. This meeting had included civilian authorities as its focus was the progress of the rebuilding of the village. Hearing civilians whine and cast blame and verbally tussle with one another was worse than listening to the clan leaders and ninja elders butt heads.

Her coal black eyes drifted to the side and briefly fixed on the Hokage's little secretary. Mikoto had probably seen her dozens of times before, but she'd always just been another worker in the bustling beehive that was the Hokage Tower; the only thing was really notable about her was her bright red hair, otherwise she was completely forgettable, just another office worker. But, in that first meeting after the Sand-Sound incident, when Danzou had done his best to have her thrown out and failed, Mikoto had really seen her.

Thinking back, she realized that that red-haired woman was always around the Hokage. In meetings she was taking notes, pouring water; she delivered coffee and paperwork in his office. Wherever the Hokage went, she seemed to follow—a loyal shadow.

And a second piece of information surfaced in that first meeting: This woman was the Jinchuuriki's mother. She didn't appear to be the boy's biological mother—there was barely much resemblance between them—but whether he was adopted or not was irrelevant. This woman was the person that her husband had so mistrusted—this woman who held sway over the vessel of the Kyuubi. She was also the mother of her precious son's teammate.

_I should get to know her better._

With that thought in mind, Mikoto exited the meeting room with the other representatives and subtly tailed the secretary until they came to a relatively empty hallway within the Tower.

"Uzumaki-san?"

The woman paused and turned back…and Mikoto was immediately struck by how tired she seemed. It wasn't just the shadows under her eyes, but the way stood and the blankness of her face. It reminded Mikoto of herself and how she had been in the months after the massacre; hurt, alone, and wondering why.

Uzumaki-san's suffering did not stem from survivor's guilt and a murderous son, but a cursed son who the village despised for daring to exist. And although this cursed son had not killed the Hokage outright, he had gravely harmed the village leader and drawn even more hatred upon himself. Now he was all but exiled, and the man that Uzumaki-san so loyally served was lost to her, perhaps forever.

_We are alike,_ Mikoto thought. _We are mothers to sons who are hated. I have lost my husband; she has lost the man that she serves. And we suffer._

"How have things been going in the Tower lately?" Mikoto inquired politely.

"As well as can be expected," the red-head answered with a polite smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Is there something I can do for you, Uchiha-sama?"

"If you could find the time to slip away, I was hoping that you could come over for some tea Friday," Mikoto smiled.

The woman blinked. "Tea?"

"Yes, tea," Mikoto nodded. "Or do you drink coffee?"

"No, no, I drink tea," Uzumaki-san muttered. "On Friday?"

"If you can get away some time."

The red-haired woman considered this invitation for a moment, distractedly brushing some long loose bangs behind her ear. "…I suppose I could get away during my lunch break."

"So you'll come?" Mikoto asked hopefully.

"…Yes." She bowed politely. "Thank you for the invitation, Uchiha-sama."

"Great," Mikoto smiled. "I'll see you in a few days then!"

Uzumaki-san bowed again, and then turned to continue on her way.

Mikoto turned and headed for home.

A few friendly cups of tea was the perfect opportunity to get to know this woman. If she could befriend her, Mikoto had the chance of gaining interesting information. Perhaps she could even find out about Itachi.

And she sympathized with this woman. She knew what it was like to lose things, lose people, and hurt. Mikoto knew what it was like to feel that way, and to feel alone. It was awful.

_I need to see what blends of tea I have on hand,_ she mused as she walked out of the building. Overhead, heavy gray clouds rumbled and threatened rain. _I need to be ready for Friday…_

* * *

Kushina stood on one of the Tower's balconies as the sky opened up and the rain poured down. If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine that she was back in her old home: _Uzu no Kuni_. All that was missing was the tang of salt in the air and the distant sound of crashing waves.

It was hard. It was hard to keep moving. It was hard to hold her head high. It was hard to stand alone.

When she had been small, she had had her family's support. Her father loved her and allowed her to train to be a ninja without complaint while other fathers in Uzu did their best to steer their daughters into being good wives and mothers. Her brothers could be jerks, but defended her (for only _they _were allowed to pick on her) and taught her some of their personal ninja tricks. If she ever needed any help, they would support her.

When her village had collapsed like a rotten log from internal corruption and external pressure from the ravenous _Iwagakure no Sato_, her family had been killed and she had been alone. It had been hard then—so wretchedly hard and painful and lonely. But she had a plan, for "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"…

When she had dragged herself to _Konohagakure no Sato_'s doorstep, she was just another refugee. She quickly distinguished herself by meeting with the Hokage and persuading him to let her be one of his ninja. And with her new career and her new home, she found friends and wasn't alone anymore.

When she met him, she never meant for them to be more than friends. He was amusing and even more fun to tease. Not only did he tolerate her, he eventually seemed to enjoy her company. He became her best friend and even when he picked up a brood of students he always had time for her.

When he decided that he liked her more than a friend should, she'd been stunned. He was handsome and talented and could easily get any available girl that he desired. Surely he would select a nice gentle girl who could cook and clean and bear him all the pretty children that he wished for. But he seemed quite sure that he wanted her, so she went along with what he wanted and found that she rather enjoyed it.

…When he lost himself, when he left her with a baby that he had no knowledge of, when that baby was sacrificed to become the most hated being in the village, her world turned upside-down and almost ended. Her friends had either been killed, or abandoned her for allowing the Kyuubi to live. Her family was long dead and couldn't help her.

She had to stand alone then and be the strong one for her son. She had to keep her baby safe from the village that wanted him dead. And when she found herself at the Hokage's side, she found that she had to be strong for him to.

She lived for them. She spent all her energy on them. She strove to be their rock. Everything she did was for them.

And now they were both gone. One was trapped in limbo. The other was basically exiled in disgrace.

Kushina had once thought that the collapse of her first village and the loss of her whole family was the worst experience of her existence. If she could survive and move on from that loss, nothing would ever get her down ever again. She would be able to handle anything with a grin.

This was worse.

Work demanded her attention. Danzou was sniffing around, dropping subtle hints that if she were to put her faith and support in him, he would protect her and Naruto. And now Uchiha Mikoto seemed after her for her own unknown reasons.

Some people could dedicate their lives to a place or an idea. Kushina could only do that if it meant that people precious to her benefited from it in some way. So she suddenly found it hard to keep the village running smoothly with both of her important people gone when before it had been easy.

Kushina leaned against the balcony rail and stared out at the rain.

_Daddy…what should I do?_

The rain gave her no answer.

* * *

Hatake Kakashi strode through the rain towards the Tower. He had just completed an A-rank mission and was liable to be sent straight out on another. There were a lot of gaps in the active ninja rosters and until things were reorganized the missions were going to come hard and fast, especially for the higher-level ninja.

Kakashi didn't mind too much. He had no family to come home to or miss. After years in ANBU, he was used to the relentless grind of missions. His ninja career was his life.

As Kakashi strolled up the side of the building (unconventional entrances kept things interesting) he came across Uzumaki Kushina sitting out on a balcony alone.

When he had first met her as a child, he hadn't liked her at all. She was loud and rowdy and disrespectful, and she didn't seem like much of a ninja. Why Minato-sensei—a man who Kakashi respected more than anyone—tolerated her presence was a complete mystery to him. Kakashi didn't waste much time pondering on this oddity and simply did his best to ignore her whenever she popped up.

After Obito's death, he grudgingly came to accept her. She looked after his broken team and was kind in her own strange way. As much as he hated to admit it, he was grateful to her.

Then, after he lost his beloved sensei to that seal and after the tragedy of the Kyuubi, she popped back up after a long absence…with a baby that strongly resembled the Yondaime. Kakashi had been on secret bodyguard duty that day when the Hokage had stumbled over a toddler Naruto in the village streets and watched the entire encounter from the shadows on the rooftops. The instant that his shift was over, he tracked Kushina down and started asking questions.

He had been very reluctant to keep her secrets. He only did it because she had begged him to—seriously begged; something he'd never seen her do before. It didn't seem right not to tell the man who had once been his sensei about his hidden legacy, but Kushina insisted that things were better this way—safer.

When she became one of the Hokage's assistants (and shortly became his primary assistant) Kakashi had been a bit uneasy. Kushina didn't seem to be the type suited for office work. But she adapted and surprised him with her hard work and devotion. He no longer worried nearly as much when he drew ANBU missions that required him to leave the village, and his former sensei, behind.

Later landing Naruto as one of his students had been both irritating and ironic. Irritating because Kakashi had been around his house often enough, and Naruto had been around the Tower enough, for the boy to be thoroughly familiar with him. Naruto had had more trouble convincing his teammates to follow along with his ideas than figuring out Kakashi's test. And it was ironic because of Naruto's secret lineage. But teaching Naruto (and the other two) had eventually grown on him.

_She looks beat,_ he noted as he watched her stare out at the rain. _It's understandable though._

He made a slight detour and landed on the balcony beside her. "Want to go drinking tonight?"

"No," she sighed. "I don't feel like coming to work tomorrow with a hangover."

"Your loss," Kakashi shrugged. "I have plans to get thoroughly smashed."

"Enjoy, Mask Boy," she snorted.

"I will," he smiled.

"Brat," she grumbled and scrubbed at her face with her hands.

"Come, let's go inside and you can vent to me and I'll pretend to listen," he cheerfully offered.

"Don't you have to submit your mission report first?"

"And be on time?" Kakashi gasped. "No, you're going to be my excuse for why I'm late."

Kushina raised an eyebrow at him. "A legitimate excuse for once?"

"My excuses are always legitimate."

"Liar," she laughed humorlessly.

But she turned away from the rain and let him take her inside.

_Poor Kushina… If only Rin was still around. She'd be more helpful than me…_

_Oh well._

* * *

The doctor nervously double-checked the patient charts and the read-outs of the monitoring machines.

_Unconscious and stable._ He sighed. _Good. Now he just has to stay that way._

As per Morino Ibiki's orders, as soon as Uchiha Itachi started to show signs of awakening he was sedated, and his eyes bound with cloth just to be safe. It was a tricky thing to sedate him, though. If his dosage of the drugs wasn't high enough, he would wake up enough to start struggling. If he was drugged too heavily, his weakened and battered body would cease functioning altogether.

The doctor carefully checked his patient's wounds and noted their state of healing, scrawling a few things on the charts to subtly adjust the man's treatment.

_I really hope they decide to do something with him soon,_ he thought morosely. _I hate working down here…with patients that are liable to kill me if they can._

_Oh why didn't I listen to my mother and become a civilian doctor?_

* * *

Naruto blinked at the giggling children and bustling crowds and bright decorations all around him. He and Jiraiya had just entered another town where apparently there was some kind of local festival going on. When they reached the middle of the festival, Jiraiya stopped and Naruto looked up questioningly.

"A festival is a great place to find leads; lots of travelers around who might've seen or heard something. Here!" He dropped his heavy pack on Naruto. "Look after this for me, will you?"

"Yes, sir," Naruto yelped as he staggered under the unexpected weight.

"Let me see your wallet."

Naruto obediently handed over his beloved money purse: Gama-chan.

"Hmm…" The white-haired man peeked inside, counted the money, and then took most of it before handing the wallet back. "That way you don't spend it all on silly things like festival games," he winked as he slipped the money he'd taken into his pocket. "Now off with you!"

The blonde clutched the significantly thinner Gama-chan and blinked in bafflement. "Huh?"

"Take a little time off. Maybe a little mental breather is all you need to make some break-throughs."

Naruto winced and dropped his eyes to his shoes. No matter how hard he spun the water in the balloon, he couldn't get it to burst or even wriggle the same way that Jiraiya had when he'd demonstrated it. And he'd gotten stuck in the book he was supposed to be studying; nothing past chapter five made much sense to him.

His mom had told him to do his best, but all he seemed to be doing was failing.

Glancing up again, he found that he was alone in the festival crowd. With a sigh he struggled to carry his own backpack along with the Sannin's through the unfamiliar town's streets. As he tried to get to a more deserted spot, he tripped and some things spilled out of Jiraiya's bag.

_Aw man…_ Naruto hurriedly gathered up the stuff before it got stepped on. A little black book caught his attention. _A ledger?_ He took a quick peek at the pages before putting it away… _Holy crap, that's a lot of zeroes! …He's filthy rich._

Once everything was back in the bag Naruto made it to the side of the street and looked around. There were the usual game booths set up as well as stalls that sold little trinkets and food. It seemed like any other festival he'd attended in Konoha (excepting the Kyuubi Festival—he never went to that one) only smaller because the town was smaller.

_I get the day off from training?_ He frowned a little._ That doesn't seem right. I haven't done anything to deserve this. Why should I get to have fun after what I've done?_

Naruto decided to forgo the games and get some lunch. He picked up some spicy dumplings and a grilled squid and found a nice grassy hill to sit on while he ate. As he munched on his food and guarded the packs, he watched the locals enjoy themselves without a care in the world.

His eyes drifted over the townspeople for a while before settling on a little boy walking with his father. The son was holding his father's hand and smiling happily, his eyes wide with wonder at the festivities. The father smiled down at his child, enjoying the boy's awe.

_I'm sorry, Yondy-sama…_ Naruto nibbled disconsolately at his squid with watery eyes. _I wish this was all just a bad dream… I wish I could go home…_

* * *

Jiraiya swallowed a sigh as he reclaimed his pack from the blonde genin.

_This kid depresses me. I let him go play games, and all he does is sit on a hill and study that book. This stop was a bust…_

It didn't help any that he hadn't uncovered much in the way of leads concerning Tsunade's whereabouts either.

"So, did you have a little fun?"

The boy shrugged. "I guess."

"You don't lie very well," the Sannin observed.

Naruto didn't respond to that. He was briefly distracted by an old woman who ran a little kiosk that sold scratch lottery cards. She was beckoning to the boy, but he seemed hesitant to go over and try his luck.

"Good ahead!" The Sannin gave him a little shove. "Scratch lotteries are a great way to test luck. And luck is just as important to a ninja as skill."

The genin reluctantly went up to the old lady and used some of his money to buy a card. Jiraiya watched the kid pick a few places to scratch. He boggled when the kid won…and won big.

_What a lucky punk!_ he snorted as the startled boy tried to get all of his winnings to fit in his frog-shaped money purse. _Let's hope that some of that luck rubs off on this search. …And I hope some of that luck rubbed off on Minato, too._


	16. Broken Sleep

**Chapter 15:** _  
Broken Sleep_

Haruno Sakura rinsed off her hands after another D-rank job well done. It had been three weeks since the disastrous end of the Chuunin Exams and almost all of the damage had been repaired. In another week, only the locals would be able to tell where the damage had been—new visitors would never suspect that there had ever been a battle.

D-rank missions were a real pain to do, but Sakura couldn't complain. With Naruto off on some mysterious long-term mission, and with Kakashi-sensei always taking jounin-level missions, she had Sasuke all to herself. It was almost like a dream come true. No Naruto asking for dates, no perverted teacher giggling at his pornography—just her and Sasuke.

However, it wasn't as fun as it had first been. Sasuke didn't talk much and she felt like she was making a pest of herself by trying to draw him into conversations. And…she kind of missed Naruto's irritating presence, the way she would miss an annoying little brother.

"Sasuke-kun, do you think that Naruto will be back soon?" she asked hesitantly.

He shrugged as he cleaned the dirt off his own hands, "Hn."

"I mean, Kushina-san doesn't look so good…" Sakura couldn't help but notice how run-down Naruto's mother looked when she and Sasuke would go to the Tower to take new missions. "She must be really worried about him. What if his mission is really dangerous?"

"It doesn't matter," Sasuke grunted. "Naruto can take care of himself, and he'll be back when he's back."

Sakura bit her lip and silently followed Sasuke to the Tower to report their mission complete and collect their payment. Nervously she fidgeted with her short pink hair, still not quite used to its reduced length. During her preliminary match with Ino in the Forest of Death she'd impulsively hacked it off with a kunai to prove that she wasn't going to be another one of Sasuke's empty-headed fangirls anymore.

_And then Ino-pig just had to do the same,_ she mentally snorted. _Well I look better than she does with short hair. I'm going to keep it short._

Just as they reached the Tower, they crossed paths with Team 8 who were just leaving.

Sasuke ignored them. Sakura nodded politely to them. But Team 8 seemed to want to talk with him.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Shino spoke from behind the high collar of his baggy coat. "Where is Uzumaki Naruto?"

"He's out of the village on some assignment," Sasuke replied. "Why do you want to know?"

"I wish to speak with him," Shino answered.

"If he's out on a mission, why are you two still here?" Kiba asked suspiciously, Akamaru whining curiously from on top of his head.

"His mom told us it's a special assignment," Sakura shrugged. "We really don't know much else."

"A s-special assignment?" Hinata blinked, then flinched when she realized she'd spoken aloud and drawn attention to herself. "U-um…" she fidgeted anxiously. "W-w-when did h-he l-leave? W-will he b-be back s-s-soon?"

"He disappeared from the hospital in the night after the attack ended," Sasuke answered. "He left the village some time after that."

"We don't know when he'll be back," Sakura added. "Sorry."

Sasuke turned his dark eyes to Shino. "Why do you want to talk to Naruto?"

"We have heard some disturbing rumors—"

"Crazy stuff!" Kiba cut in. "Like he burned the Hokage's face off, or he's secretly some kind of demon, or his mother slept with a demon so he's some kind of evil spawn, or—"

"You don't actually believe any of that do you?" Sasuke interrupted.

"No," Shino answered. "My curiosity lies in _why_ such wild falsehoods center around Naruto."

Sakura frowned and thought of her mother's gossiping phone call about Naruto being in jail.

"Well we don't know," Sasuke grunted. "Ask his mom or wait for him to come back."

And with that, the Uchiha walked around them and into the Tower.

"Uh, talk to you later!" Sakura awkwardly waved and darted after her dark-haired teammate. "Sasuke-kun, wait!"

Sasuke slowed his pace slightly so that she could catch up, but otherwise ignored her as usual.

"What do you think about the things they said?" she asked as they navigated the twisting halls of the Tower.

"Anyone who believes any of those rumors is stupid," Sasuke grumbled.

Sakura had to agree. Naruto would never "burn the Hokage's face off" or harm the man in any way. He was no demon; he was just a goofy ninja. And his mother would never sleep with a demon—if such a thing was even possible to do.

"Sasuke-kun, what do you think happened to the Hokage?" she asked quietly.

All she knew was that the Yondaime had been gravely wounded somehow during the Sand-Sound attack. The details of his injury and current health were kept secret. No one knew when or _if_ he would return to his office and take up his duties as Hokage again.

"He got unlucky and some enemy ninja got him good," Sasuke shrugged. "No ninja is immortal or untouchable, not even a 'Kage."

"Right," Sakura unhappily agreed with a shudder.

_I hope Hokage-sama will be okay,_ she thought as they arrived at the temporary missions desk set up outside of the Hokage's empty office. _He's such a nice man…_

* * *

_Amazing,_ Jiraiya smirked, _the kid actually has a brain!_

Naruto had cracked the first step of the _Rasengan_ with an innovative little trick (apparently inspired by watching a cat, or something) and was halfway to figuring out the second step. Bursting rubber balls was a lot harder than popping water balloons and so far the boy could only make them spring leaks instead of explode into pieces. He was on the right track with using more power, he just wasn't focusing it enough.

_If he didn't have the Kyuubi's regenerative powers on his side, I'd worry that he's on his way to permanently ruining his hands,_ the Sannin frowned as he took a short break from sniffing around about Tsunade and watched the boy from the branches of a tree. _Look at those hands shake. I wonder if I should give him a hint…_

Hints did wonders with this kid. Once he'd reframed some of the information that he was having trouble with in the seal book into analogies that he understood better, he finally got further in the text. In another week Jiraiya predicted that he'd have to give the boy another, more advanced book to start studying.

The genin popped another small hole in the rubber ball he was using to practice and slumped wearily to the ground, rubbing at his sore hands.

_…I think I'll give him a hint._

He dropped down from the tree, startling the blonde boy.

"Jiraiya-sama?"

As much as the Sannin had hated being called "Ero-Sennin" he was actually starting to miss it. Being called "Jiraiya-sama" by the Uzumaki boy just seemed wrong. The white-haired man picked up the flattened white rubber ball and made a show of studying it.

"Not having much luck, are we?"

The boy slumped. "How long did it take Hokage-sama to learn how to do this?"

"Three years," Jiraiya answered.

Naruto gaped. "That long?"

"Well it takes time to invent a jutsu like this one," the Sannin shrugged.

"He _invented_ it?!"

"Yes he did," Jiraiya nodded. _I suppose I forgot to mention that part…_

"…Awesome!"

_There's the old Uzumaki volume-control problem!_ "Now, so I don't have to waste more money on rubber balls…" Jiraiya dramatically removed a square of paper, ink, and a brush from his bag. "Here's a little hint…"

* * *

Uchiha Mikoto frowned as she carefully cleaned her tea set. She had managed to persuade Uzumaki-san to come over several times to enjoy some tea. But the red-haired woman remained guarded.

_How am I supposed to be her friend if she won't talk to me?_

Mikoto did her best to be as open as possible during their little tea meetings. She talked about anything and everything that wasn't a clan secret or too painful for her to mention. The Uchiha matriarch related stories about her youth, old missions, Sasuke when he was a little boy…

But, aside from a few stories about her own son, Uzumaki-san gave very little in return.

When Mikoto asked the other woman about her childhood and family, the Hokage's assistant firmly changed the subject to the weather. When the Uchiha had asked about Naruto's father, the Uzumaki flat-out said that it was none of her business. When she asked the other woman how she was holding up, the secretary was clearly lying when she claimed to be just fine.

_How can I get her to trust me?_

All she could think to do was to do something nice for Naruto, like allow him to train on Uchiha clan grounds, but that wouldn't work as the boy was out of the village until further notice.

_I might support her views in the Council…if she would tell me what they were._ Mikoto dried off her china tea set and started to put it away for next time. _With Hokage-sama still incapacitated I don't see any other way for her to have any hand in the village's decisions._

"_Taidama_," Sasuke muttered as he walked through the front door.

"Did you get a good mission today?" Mikoto asked with a smile, shunting aside her worries.

"We fixed some ruined landscaping," her son shrugged.

"That's not too bad. It's better than catching runaway cats, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Sasuke reluctantly agreed.

"Well why don't you go out to the garden and pick whatever is ripe for me while I get started on dinner?"

"Sure," he agreed and did as she requested.

_Such a good boy,_ she smiled after him. _He'll be a fine man when he finishes growing up._

Her smile slipped when she thought of Itachi tucked away somewhere in the ANBU's basement.

_At least I hope so…_

* * *

Kushina stared at the stack of paperwork in despair. With the personnel shortage, some office ninja were shifted back into the field to cover all the missions that came in to the village. And this left some departments short-staffed, which led to a backlog of paperwork.

_I… Hate… Paperwork…_

Sighing, she gathered up the stack of mission reports she had volunteered to review and left the stuffy office for some fresh air. Sometimes a change of scenery helped her focus on the mind-numbing work of combing through reports to look for errors or discrepancies that needed further looking into. At the very least, getting out of the Tower for a while kept her from feeling trapped.

It was a pain to be so busy and stretched so thin, but there were some pluses to the situation. Always having something to do limited the time she had to sit and brood. It also kept pests like Ebisu occupied so that they didn't have time to hit on her.

Exiting the Tower, she briefly squinted against the late afternoon sun. It was a nice day—clear and warm. She scowled at it and headed for the hospital.

Kushina tried to visit him every day, even if it was just for a few minutes. His nice private hospital room was a good place to work on paperwork and not be disturbed by anyone. And it was comforting to be near him…so long as she didn't let herself think about the possibility of him never waking up.

Arriving at the Hokage's room, she found it as it always was. The space was small, but decorated to look like a simple bedroom (personally, the sterile white walls ruined the illusion for her) with curtains on the windows, a round table and chairs for visitors (or for the patient if he was able to be up and about), and a nightstand for flowers and such. There were no flowers in the room, though. Instead, there was a sort of impromptu shrine for the Hokage down in the hospital lobby, and there were surely offerings at every shrine in the village praying for his recovery.

The red-haired woman ignored the ANBU door guard who turned to keep an overt eye on her as she entered the room and sat at the table. Setting the stack of reports on the floor by her chair, she took the top folder and started to go through things. If she didn't get right to work she would be distracted by the blonde man in the bed and waste time that she shouldn't be wasting.

It wasn't like there was going to be any change in him from the last time that she'd seen him. And it wasn't like he would know that she was there either. Whether he'd been brain-damaged or not, he was sedated so heavily that Tsunade could knock him through the wall and he wouldn't stir.

_God I'm tired,_ she yawned as she skimmed over the report.

Sleep was hard to get these days. There was too much to worry about. There were too many nightmares.

The beeping of the machine that monitored the Yondaime's vital signs was soft and regular. Several times when she'd come in to do some work the sound had almost hypnotized her into napping. Reading dust-dry action reports didn't help much, either.

_…I need caffeine._

* * *

A busty blonde woman sat before a pachinko machine in a gaming parlor in an out-of-the-way gambling town near the border of the Land of Fire. She looked to be in her late twenties, early thirties at most, and was very intent on her game. She fingered a pale green crystal pendant that hung from her neck—

The machine's lights flashed, it chimed, and a rush of silver balls poured out of it.

"…I won?" she breathed in confusion.

"Some luck at last, Tsunade-sama!" a dark-haired woman cheered as the pink pig in her arms squealed in delight.

"But I never win," Tsunade frowned.

She played again…and won again. She moved to a different machine…and won _again_. She tried a third machine…and _still_ won.

"Shizune, we're leaving!" Tsunade announced and strode out of the pachinko parlor.

"But Tsunade-sama!" Shizune protested as she struggled to redeem the box full of tiny metal pachinko balls for their monetary worth before she was left behind. "We just got here! Wait!"

* * *

Misa hated the night shift. The hospital was quiet and dark and there was very little to do. She also wasn't a night owl, which made it hard to stay awake.

And tonight she had a raging headache, which made things even worse than usual.

With a yawn, the nurse made her rounds of the patients she was assigned to monitor. Every single one of them was stable and asleep. And then she came to her final and most important patient.

It was an incredible honor to be entrusted with the health of the Hokage. Not only that, but he was a very handsome man and all the female hospital staff wished and fought for the chance to tend to him. But Misa was just too tired to really enjoy this rare honor.

She squinted at his chart that hung at the end of his bed, but her tired eyes and throbbing headache made it harder than usual to decipher the scrawl of the doctor's handwriting. Shrugging at it, she checked his vital signs and found them to be stable, just like all the rest of her patients. Satisfied, she shot a sleepy glare at the demon's mother (how dare she even be allowed in here after what happened?!) who was sleeping at the small table in the room, slipped past the ANBU guards at the door, and trudged down the dimly lit hallway in search of a nice place to catch a nap.

The exhausted nurse failed to realize that she had missed some instructions on the chart to replace the sedatives that fed into the Yondaime's IV drip, nor did she notice that the current sedatives had completely run out.

* * *

A warm sunbeam stabbed at Kushina's eyelid until she shifted to evade it. That was when it hit her that she wasn't laying in her comfortable bed, but awkwardly hunched over an uncomfortable table. She opened her eyes and found herself in the Hokage's private hospital room.

_Crap, I fell asleep._

Scrubbing a hand over her face, she staggered to her feet, wincing as her body unfolded from its uncomfortable position, and gathered up the reports she'd been studying. She would have to hurry home and clean up and eat something before she could head to the Tower and work. Judging by the angle of the sunlight streaming into the room, she was already almost an hour late.

_Crap, crap, crap!_

Kushina tucked the folders of reports under one arm, hurriedly patted the Yondaime's limp hand, and hurried from the room.

"Next time I fall asleep in here, wake me up!" she snarled at the ANBU at the door and stormed off.

She didn't realize that she'd left a few reports on the floor by the chair she'd accidentally slept in.

…And no one noticed the Hokage's hand twitch and slowly curl into a fist.


	17. Reset

**Chapter 16:** _  
Reset_

It felt like he was drowning in tar.

Everything was dark and it felt so hard to move.

There also seemed to be fog in his brain.

Strange dreams of monstrous red foxes with too many tails and little blonde boys with kitty whiskers and all sorts of other nonsensical things faded in and out of the shadowy mists that filled his skull.

He could taste his breath, and it was very unpleasant.

There was an irritating, insistent beeping sound that came from somewhere to the right.

And then he remembered how to open his eyes.

Bright…white…ceiling tiles?

_…Hospital?_ Minato thought fuzzily. _…Why? …How did I get here?_

Trying to sort through the mess inside his head for answers only gave him a headache, so he shrugged the question aside for later when he felt better.

He found it surprisingly hard to sit up; his whole body felt weak, like he hadn't done anything in a long time. There were IVs running into his wrist, bandages wrapped around his forehead, sensors suction-cupped to his chest, a tube in his nose that went down his throat, and a catheter…inserted into a delicate part of his anatomy. Also he found that he was quite naked underneath the bed sheets.

It all indicated that he'd been in bed and unconscious for a long time.

_…Did I hit my head?_

The theory seemed plausible enough. It explained the bandages on his head, why he'd been out cold for apparently a long time, and why he had trouble thinking and remembering. Although it seemed odd that he apparently had no other injuries…

He carefully removed the catheter, and then started to pull the tube out of his nose. The tube bothered his throat as it came out and he started to cough and choke. This drew some unwanted attention.

Specifically, a pair of masked ANBU who skidded into the room and stared at him (or, at least he thought they were staring at him—it was hard to tell with those masks covering their faces).

"Hi," Minato said…or tried to say; it came out as a strangled, unintelligible cough.

One of the ANBU—one who wore a bird-styled mask—briefly vanished, then reappeared with a glass of water with a bendy straw in it. Minato eagerly sipped at the cool liquid until his dry, stiff throat felt better. When he tried to speak again, it worked.

"Hi," he croaked; his voice was hoarse, but understandable. "Um…could I get some clothes…please?"

It was a stupid request. ANBU members had better things to do than fetch him a pair of pants. The water had been a simple act of kindness.

They must've been performing some duty nearby, heard his coughing, and taken pity on him…so shortly they would leave and go back to what they were supposed to be doing.

The bird-masked ANBU set the nearly-empty water glass on the nightstand by the hospital bed and departed. The other ANBU—one with a feline mask—remained in the room. Minato fidgeted with the bed sheets and tried to sweep the cobwebs from his brain.

It took a while. But the longer he was awake, the clearer his head felt. Although he couldn't seem to get a grasp on what he'd been doing before he found himself in the hospital room or what day it was…or what day it _might_ be.

_…How long have I been out of it?_

He must've asked the question out loud (…or maybe the cat ANBU had read his mind) because he got an answer.

"Three weeks and four days."

Minato blinked. He hadn't expected the ANBU to know and certainly not to have such a precise answer. Sure, he was an important ninja, but it wasn't like he was the _Hokage_. There wasn't any real reason for the ANBU to keep such tight tabs on him.

"That long…" he mumbled to himself.

The bird ANBU returned…with a set of pale green hospital scrubs.

Minato was surprised that his silly request had actually been carried out. But he was grateful as he got the pants on as quickly as his weakened body would let him. He greatly disliked being naked in hospitals because all the female hospital staff would hit on him even more than when he was fully clothed.

Getting the shirt on was much more problematic. With the IV still in his wrist and the sensors still stuck to his chest, he wouldn't be able to get the article of clothing on. Removing the IV needle would make him start to bleed, and taking the sensors off would make the monitor they were connected to think that he had died and set off a loud alarm.

_Hmm… If I unplug it first, there shouldn't be any alarm,_ he reasoned, eying its electrical cord from his seat on the edge of the bed. _And maybe…the ANBU wouldn't mind getting me a band-aid for my wrist?_

Before he could make up his mind, the sound of rapidly approaching angry footsteps outside his room drew his eyes to the open doorway. A familiar red-haired woman swept into the room, ignoring him and the two ANBU, and headed for the small table in the corner of the room. Snarling nasty things under her breath, she crouched down and retrieved something from the floor.

"Found you!" she hissed. "Stupid, lousy, pieces of—"

_She's talking to the paperwork?_ Minato raised a curious eyebrow. "What did those poor forms ever do to you?"

She actually screamed a little and spun around to jab an angry finger at him. "_You!_ Don't you _ever_ scare me like…that…" Her voice abruptly trailed off and her eyes widened as it seemed to catch up with her who she was yelling at.

"Hi!" he grinned cheerfully.

Instead of snapping out of her shock like he expected her to, her blue-green eyes grew glassy like she was about to…cry?

Minato's grin slipped. "What—"

Clutching the papers to her chest, she turned away and all but ran from the room.

He slumped in dismay. _The way she looked…it was like she thought she was seeing a ghost or something._ "…Was I really that sick?"

"You almost died," the cat-masked ANBU informed him.

"I did?!" Minato started. "…I don't remember that."

"I'll get the doctors," the bird ANBU muttered and withdrew.

The blonde ignored him and stared at the black-and-white tile floor in deep thought.

_I almost died? …No wonder she was upset. Poor Kushina…_

…He wondered just how much chocolate and junk food he was going to have to buy his girlfriend to get back into her good graces once he got out of the hospital.

* * *

She wasn't hiding. She wasn't dodging her duty. She was simply standing around the corner from the Hokage's hospital room and preparing herself for the task at hand.

When Namikaze Minato had first been half-sealed, Jiraiya had tried multiple times to remove the malformed marks. Not only had his efforts failed, but the side-effects from his attempts had caused the blonde great pain (on one occasion it was so severe that he'd needed to be hospitalized) and scrambled and partially erased new memories that he'd made since his sealing. It seemed that the same thing had happened now as a result of Naruto's well-meaning tampering with the completed seal.

The ANBU informed her that, after she'd fled the room, the Hokage had been confused when the doctors had called him "Hokage-sama." The Yondaime seemed to think that the long-dead Sandaime was still running the village. He remembered things like his name, birth date, and that he was a ninja, but he couldn't give the doctors the current date and had no idea what had happened to land him in the hospital.

With both Jiraiya and Kakashi out of the village, it fell to her to determine what he knew and didn't know and fix the holes and gaps.

_I can handle this._ Kushina swallowed and got her notebook and pen ready. _No running away this time._

Earlier, when she'd gone to retrieve the reports that she'd accidentally left behind, she'd been shocked to see him conscious and sitting up. She'd wanted to scream at him, hug him, cry. Unable to handle it, she'd left until she could recover her composure.

Now as evening was falling over the village it was time to get to work.

Kushina finally walked around the corner and into the Hokage's private hospital room.

The Yondaime was again awake and sitting up in his bed. He was wearing a shirt this time and he was no longer connected to the heart monitor or IV drips. The feeding tube had not been replaced and he was picking at a bland dinner.

When she stepped past the ANBU and into the room he immediately noticed and smiled at her.

_Well, it seems like he knows me. Or maybe he just recognizes me from the afternoon._ Kushina moved a chair from the table to the Yondaime's bedside and sat down. _Time to get down to business._

"How's your dinner?" she asked politely.

"Awful," he replied.

"Hospital food usually is." She flipped her notebook open to a clean page and launched into her interview. "So, do you remember who I am?"

"Of course I do!" His answer was immediate and he sounded certain, and just a little insulted.

"Well, since you don't recall being the Hokage, I have to check and see what else you do or don't know," she shrugged.

He shifted uneasily. "…I would never forget you."

Kushina dropped her eyes to her notebook. _Yes you would._ "So…you don't remember being Hokage, which means we'll probably have to go over…"_—Orochimaru going bad, Sandaime dying, the Kyuubi, Naruto the Jinchuuriki, Hizashi's sacrifice, the Uchiha massacre—_"…pretty much _everything_." _Fun, fun, fun!_

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I don't know why I don't remember…"

"Don't worry about it," she muttered as she started scribbling little notes to herself on what sorts of files to pull to assist in teaching him all that he'd forgotten. "It's not your fault."

"It shouldn't be too bad, right?" he chuckled weakly. "I mean, it's only a year or so of stuff…"

She glanced up from her notes and slowly shook her head.

"Uh…three years?"

"Keep going," Kushina told him.

He frowned at her. "…How old am I now?"

"Thirty-seven."

"…_I am?!_"

She raised an eyebrow. "How old did you think you were?"

"Twenty-four," he muttered, dazed.

A shiver raced up her spine; he'd been twenty-four when the seal had first been applied.

"So there's a lot to go over," she sighed and went back to scrawling notes.

_At least he seems to remember a few more things than he did when he first stumbled back to Konoha. He doesn't remember events, but he remembers people…like me. But…if he doesn't recall being Hokage…why would he know me, his assistant?_

His hands suddenly grasped hers, jolting her from her thoughts and preventing her from writing more. He studied her hands intently while she sat frozen. Then he turned his intense blue eyes to her face.

"W-what?" she squeaked breathlessly.

"I…I don't understand," he whispered.

Kushina felt paralyzed. His face was too close. She wasn't sure if he'd pulled her in, or if he'd leaned over to her.

"Why are you acting like we don't know each other that well?"

Her wits were too scattered to respond. He was the Hokage and she was his assistant. While she was friendly with him, she did her best to keep things professional. There was no way that she was going to do anything that would feed or substantiate the rumors that her enemies tried to spread around about her and her boss.

So why would he…

"Did we…break up?"

By the door, she could hear one of the ANBU choking.

She jerked away from him, stumbling to her feet and knocking down the chair she'd been sitting in. "_What?!_"

Why would he think—

And then it clicked.

It was like she couldn't breathe. She couldn't hear anything. She couldn't move. All she could do was just stand there and stare.

Then she took her notebook and smacked it over his head.

Being only paper and cardboard it didn't do any damage, but it made an impressive sound.

"_You jerk!_" she snarled and stormed from the room and out of the hospital.

_After all these years, he decides to remember __**now**__?!_

Only when she reached her apartment did she realize that she'd been crying.

* * *

When Kakashi returned to the village after yet another successfully completed mission, one of his old ANBU buddies had found him and informed him that the Hokage had regained consciousness. Kakashi immediately headed for the hospital. This was one excuse for being late that no one would complain about.

When Kushina rushed past him in the hospital hallway and didn't stop or even seem to hear him when he called her name, he frowned. That made him very, very worried. He had never seen Uzumaki Kushina cry before.

When he reached the Hokage's room, he expected to see his former sensei either very sick or dead (what else would make Kushina _cry_?!). Instead, the blonde man appeared to be physically fine. He looked upset and confused.

A cat-masked ANBU at the door dragged him aside before he could enter the room.

"Kakashi-sempai…did Kushina-san and Hokage-sama ever date?"

"…Why do you ask?" Kakashi responded warily.

"He asked her if they broke up…and she hit him with a notebook, called him a jerk, and left."

The silver-haired jounin carefully digested this information. The fact that he had to ask meant that he had some memory issues. The content of the question meant…

_…Oh boy._

"Neither of you say a word about this," he instructed the two door guards. "Forget you overheard anything."

Even though he was no longer a part of ANBU, he was respected enough to be obeyed without question.

"Now I think it's time for a little student-teacher chat," Kakashi muttered and slipped into the private room, shutting the door behind him.

The ANBU made no protest—Kakashi was a former ANBU captain and was a former student of the Hokage, he wouldn't harm the Yondaime.

The jounin righted the knocked-over chair at his sensei's bedside, spun it backwards, and sat down, bracing his forearms on the chair back. At first his former teacher didn't notice him; he was too busy being dazed by Kushina's startling reaction. Then he glanced over and did a little double-take.

"…Kakashi?"

"Hi, Sensei!" Kakashi smiled cheerfully and waved. "The answer to your question is complicated, but to oversimplify: Technically no, you two aren't broken up."

The Yondaime jumped in surprise. "Ah…Kakashi…how…?"

Kakashi wiggled a chastising finger. "Did you really think you could hide your girlfriend from me forever, Sensei?"

"Well…no," the older man mumbled and awkwardly rubbed at the back of his head. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about it before…"

"It's fine," Kakashi shrugged. "She explained it all to me."

The Hokage stared off to the side for a moment in thought before looking back to his former student. "If we didn't break up…why was she so upset with me?"

"It's complicated."

"What an enlightening answer," his sensei sighed.

"Well, it is." Kakashi tapped his masked chin thoughtfully. "Now, where to begin…"

"How about the part where I suffered some kind of head trauma, almost died, and ended up in the hospital?" the Yondaime suggested.

"Things would be a lot simpler if you'd merely hit your head," the silver-haired jounin sighed.

"What happened to me, then?" his former sensei frowned.

"A very bad reaction to a seal removal," Kakashi informed him.

"A seal removal?" The Hokage blinked. "What seal?"

"An enemy of yours placed a debilitating seal on your forehead and its removal almost killed you."

"…It must have been some seal for Jiraiya-sensei to have such trouble removing it."

Kakashi sighed. "The problem was it wasn't Jiraiya who broke the seal."

"Who did, then?"

"Naruto," the jounin reluctantly replied.

"…Who's that?"

Kakashi internally debated how best to answer that question. Just about any piece of information he gave out about the boy would startle his former sensei. So he hesitantly fished out his wallet, removed a small copy of his team photo (the one where _he_ was the sensei) and handed it over.

"You have students now?" the older ninja grinned.

"Yes, Minato-sensei," Kakashi muttered, rolling his eyes.

The Hokage smiled as he studied the photograph. "Aw, they look so cute… But…" He frowned and tapped Naruto's face. "That boy…"

"That's Naruto," Kakashi told him.

His old sensei didn't seem to hear. "When I was starting to wake up, I saw bits of things…I thought I was dreaming because none of it made any sense or seemed possible. I saw this boy…"

Kakashi raised his eyebrow. "You remember Naruto?"

"I…I guess…" The Yondaime frowned worriedly. "Who is this boy exactly?"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

At first the Hokage just stared blankly at him, and then all the color drained from his face and he squeaked: "Uzumaki?"

"Your son."

"My…my _what_?!"

Kakashi reached out and patted his sensei's shoulder consolingly. "I told you it was complicated, Sensei."

* * *

Kushina sat in her dark bedroom clutching Minato's misplaced book to her chest and sniffled miserably.

She'd embarrassed herself. First, she had fled from the Hokage's room when she found him unexpectedly awake. And then she had done it a second time in the same day after smacking him upside the head with a notebook.

It was surreal, like a dream. With the seal gone, it was like his brain had reset itself back to the time before it had been applied. He remembered her now—really _remembered_ her.

She'd given up on such a thing long, long ago.

She was happy. She was angry. She was relieved. She wanted to go back and hug him and slug him in the face at the same time.

The last time she'd felt so emotionally messed up was when she'd been pregnant with Naruto and overrun by hormones.

That had also been the last time that she'd cried so much in such a short period.

_Minato…_

* * *

Minato laid on his hospital bed and stared at the ceiling with his head buzzing and spinning.

Kakashi had said some other things to him, but nothing much had stuck after he'd heard about his son…

_…I have a son?_

First, he was the Hokage and the Hokage that he remembered was dead. Then, he was missing over a decade of his life. And now Kushina was angry with him and he had a son.

_Kushina…_

Why hadn't he married her? He'd checked her hands (and his own, earlier) and found no ring. Surely if they had a son they would go on to get married…right?

His head started to pound and he rolled over to bury his face into his pillow.

_I don't understand…_


	18. Broken Gambler

**Chapter 17:** _  
Broken Gambler_

Naruto frowned at the balloon in his hand.

_Step 1: pop the balloon. Step 2: pop the ball. Step 3: …__**don't**__ pop the balloon?!_

He didn't get it.

"Is there a problem?"

"No," Naruto shrugged, still frowning at the balloon.

"…You don't see the point of the third step, do you?"

The boy blinked up at Jiraiya. _What, does he read minds?!_

"I don't read minds," the Sannin snorted. "You're just obvious."

Naruto gaped at him.

"There wouldn't be a third step if it wasn't necessary," Jiraiya continued, ignoring Naruto's reaction. "Allow me to demonstrate."

The white-haired man came to a tree and gathered some chakra to his palm. Forming it into a wispy blue sphere, he pushed it into the tree trunk. The sphere collapsed quickly, carving a spiral into the tree bark.

"That was just step one and step two," Jiraiya announced. "And now for all three steps…"

The Sannin seemed to gather and mold his chakra as before, except this time the sphere seemed tighter, less wispy. When he pushed this attack into the tree, it didn't fall apart in seconds. It kept going and chewed half of the tree trunk away. It didn't dissipate until Jiraiya let it.

"What do you think of that?"

Naruto jabbed an excited finger at the damage. "That's awesome!"

"Master step three and you can do that too." Jiraiya adjusted the straps of his pack and continued on down the road. "So get practicing!"

"_Hai_!" Naruto nodded and jogged after him.

_Okay…do what I did for the first two steps…and don't pop the balloon…_

He held the balloon in his right palm, used his left hand to get the chakra threads spinning, started to boost the power…

The balloon popped.

_Aw, man!_

* * *

Jiraiya leaned back in his seat in the restaurant booth and let his thoughts drift. Naruto sat across from him and pouted at the menu. He probably couldn't find any ramen to order.

The kid was getting better. When he was distracted from thinking of what he'd done, the boy was almost his usual self. If he thought too much about the Yondaime, he'd get all glum and quiet again, but his gloomy periods were growing shorter and shorter.

It was a relief. He hadn't really worried about suicide—the Kyuubi would never allow him to die from such a thing. But the guilt could wear on the boy, eat away at him, and drive him to do something drastic or permanently change him for the worse.

But Naruto wasn't out of the woods yet. How would his spirit hold up when they returned to the village and he was once again exposed to the consequences of his well-meaning but reckless action? How would he stand the freshly stoked hatred of the villagers?

Whatever happened, Jiraiya doubted that it would be pretty.

At least the kid was making strides in his training. He had conquered the first two steps far faster than Jiraiya had expected him to. And now he was grappling with the third step. It was actually a possibility that the boy would master the technique before they returned to Konoha.

_But then again, the third step is the trickiest to get of all three._ He sighed and eyed his own menu, half-heartedly trying to decide what he wanted to order. _Whether he gets it or not before we go back depends on when we finally catch up to Tsunade…_

They were close. The last town they'd stopped in, Jiraiya had come by information that indicated that his former teammate had left barely a day before they'd arrived. Perhaps this would be the place where they would catch her.

_I hope we find her soon. The longer we take to find her…the lower the chances that she'll actually be able to do anything for Minato._ His shoulders slumped._ And finding her is only __**half**__ the battle; she still has to be persuaded to return…_

Jiraiya would find a way to do it. If there was a way to save his treasured student, he would do what was necessary to succeed. If there was no hope, he was determined to find the leader his village needed to survive.

The restaurant was decently busy as the evening rush was just starting up. The air was filled with mumbled conversations. But with his sharp ninja ears he was able to pick out bits and pieces, and purely out of habit he eavesdropped.

"…price of fish is outrageous!"

"I know, I paid…"

"…he found a mouse in his rice."

"Disgusting! What did he…"

"…damn woman!"

"Why not just divorce…"

"…in the morning we leave."

_That voice…_

"But we just got here, Tsunade-sama!"

_Tsunade?!_

Jiraiya immediately perked up and scanned over the restaurant crowd. Across the aisle and several booths back, he spied two women. One was dark-haired and meek looking, and the other was blonde and very busty. A pink pig was curled up underneath the table.

"Hey!" he popped up to his feet and pointed at her. "Tsunade!"

She jerked her head over to stare at him. "Jiraiya?"

"Long time, no see!" he laughed and—dragging Naruto by his jacket collar—moved to their booth. "May we join you?"

"Sure," Tsunade grunted and the dark-haired woman moved to sit by the woman Sannin, leaving the other side of the booth open. When Jiraiya and Naruto sat down, Tsunade pointed at the boy. "Who's the brat?"

"This is Naruto." Jiraiya pinched the boy's whiskered cheeks and grinned. "Isn't he cute?"

"Adorable," Tsunade muttered dryly.

"Agh!" Naruto grunted and wriggled out of Jiraiya's grip to rub at his sore cheeks.

"What brings you all the way out here?" the blonde woman asked.

Jiraiya drew a deck of cards from his pocket and started shuffling. "I missed you, Tsunade-hime," he smiled cheerily. "How have you been?"

She frowned at him suspiciously. "What are you up to?"

"You wound me, Hime-sama," he pouted and started dealing the cards. "Can't a pair of old teammates just hang out and catch up?"

Her brown eyes hardened. "I've had a strange streak of luck recently…and for me that is an ill omen." She picked up the cards he'd dealt her and idly studied them. "And now you show up out of the blue and you seem quite eager to speak with me. So tell me, Jiraiya: What are you up to?"

"Okay, then," he sighed. "I'll get right to the point then… I'm sure that you've heard about the attack that occurred in Konoha recently."

"Yes, we've heard, Jiraiya-sama," the dark-haired woman nodded soberly.

"Who hasn't?" Tsunade snorted.

"Well, I've come on behalf of the village to get your help," Jiraiya explained. "Your medical expertise is required. Yondaime-sama is very sick and you're the only one who has any chance of helping him."

Tsunade eyed him warily. "You just want me to come back and play doctor one last time? …What if there's nothing I can do?"

Jiraiya fought a grimace. "If Hokage-sama can't be saved, the village wants you to replace him as the Godaime."

She blinked at him, smirked, and then started to laugh. "Me? Hokage?! Hah, you couldn't pay me enough to take that crap job!"

Next to him, Jiraiya could feel Naruto flinch.

"If you can fix up the Yondaime, you won't have to worry about that," Jiraiya grinned, forcing his laidback cheer.

"Forget it," she snorted and laid down her hand of cards. "There's nothing that you can do to get me to set foot back in that wretched village again. Minato wanted that job, and now he can suffer the consequences. He was asking for it, just like the Old Fool before him."

"Tsunade-sama!" the dark-haired woman squeaked in horror.

Jiraiya was incensed—that was _his_ student she was bad-mouthing, and the "Old Fool" had been teacher to both of them! He opened his mouth to fire something back—

Naruto was lunging over the table at her as if to attack her and Jiraiya just barely caught the back of his jacket.

"You take that back you mean old grandma!" the boy howled, thrashing against Jiraiya's grip.

_Does this kid want to die?!_

"Excuse me?" Tsunade snarled. "Do you know who you're talking to?"

"Yeah!" Naruto glared, still trying to get over the table. "You're a washed-up old lady who can't gamble and is only good at running away!"

"You little punk!" she roared and jumped to her feet. "I'm one of the Sannin! Show some respect!"

"Why should I?" Naruto sneered.

Tsunade looked like she was going to explode.

Jiraiya started to sweat. "Naruto—"

"That's it!" Tsunade hissed. "Let's take this outside."

"Tsunade-sama!" Tsunade's companion protested.

"Fine by me!" Naruto snapped, shaking free of Jiraiya's grip.

_This is a nightmare,_ Jiraiya shuddered as he and Tsunade's assistant (and the pig) unhappily followed the two opponents outside the restaurant to a deserted street. _We didn't even get to eat anything…_

"Hey, Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya pleaded as the two squared off on the street. "Please don't break him. I don't want his mother to castrate me!"

"A momma's boy, eh?" Tsunade sniffed. "Don't worry, I won't hurt him…that much."

"Don't you start talking about my mom!" Naruto shouted. He pulled his hitae-ate from around his neck and tied it to his forehead. "Now let's go!"

"Children first," Tsunade invited with a smirk.

Naruto charged her.

Jiraiya cringed. _…Kushina's going to make me a eunuch over this._

* * *

Naruto remembered what Jiraiya had told him about Tsunade. She was the granddaughter of the Shodai, grandniece of the Nidaime, and student of the Sandaime, and she was one of the Sannin and a great medic. But she had left the village before he'd been born, was a lousy gambler, and was as old as Jiraiya but so vain that she used genjutsu to hide her real age.

Overall, he wasn't sure what to think of her.

But when she opened her mouth and so casually and callously bashed the village, the Sandaime (who was universally loved by Konoha for his long reign and sacrifice), the Yondaime (who he in particular loved), and the office of Hokage which he had aspired to for as long as he could remember, he decided that he hated her.

It was a pity that they had to bother with her at all. If she wasn't supposed to be this great medic and Yondy-sama's only hope, he would just walk away and forget about her. But she was necessary and he would get her help, even if he had to beat her up and force her.

He was going to teach this mean old grandma a lesson.

Snarling, he ran at her.

He wasn't afraid. The only thing physically intimidating about her was her freakishly huge chest. And big boobs like those surely had to get in her way, which was an advantage for him.

The deceptively youthful old lady smirked at him, and then stomped her foot on the ground…_splitting the street open!_

Naruto was forced to stop, or risk slipping down the small chasm she'd made with her foot—

She was in front of him and flicked his forehead, knocking his hitae-ate off and sending it flying off somewhere. Smirking, she flicked his forehead again, this time sending him flying backwards like he'd been slammed with a hammer. Tumbling end over end, he ended up with his face in the dirt several yards away.

_Okay,_ he coughed._ So she's tougher than she looks… A lot tougher._

That didn't bother him too much, though. He would find a way to show this nasty _Baa-chan_ that he was a force to be reckoned with. He'd find a way to make her cooperate.

"This kid is boring," Tsunade complained, looking over at their small audience. "Why are you keeping him with you, Jiraiya?"

"Well, he's only a genin," Jiraiya shrugged.

Naruto got to his feet and started to gather his chakra. _I have to try it now, while she's distracted…_

"Is it because he looks so much like your favorite student? Trying to go back to the good old days?" Tsunade rolled her eyes. "This brat's too loud and stupid."

Naruto started to spin and weave the chakra and boost the power…

"Be nice, Tsunade," Jiraiya sighed. "The kid has his good points. He'll surprise you for sure."

She raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

When he thought he had it right, Naruto charged, a swirling blue storm clutched in the palm of his hand. He almost thought that he had her, but she caught sight of him just in time to dodge. His attack slammed into the cracked ground, carving a wide spiral before breaking down.

"Damn it!" Naruto hissed. _I thought I got it that time!_

"You're teaching him _that_?!" Tsunade snapped. "You only bother to teach kids with potential. Why are you wasting time with this little idiot? He'll never manage to master that."

"Hey!" Naruto yelped. "I can so master the _Rasengan_! Just you watch me! I'll do it in three days!"

"Three days?" She threw back her head and laughed. "There's no way! I bet you couldn't even manage it in ten!"

"I bet I can!" Naruto shot back.

"You bet?" Her brown eyes turned predatory. "What are the terms?"

Naruto glared at her. "If I win, you apologize for all the stuff you said and come back to the village with us. And if you win…" His mouth twisted. "If you win, I apologize."

"Such a boring bet. Let's adjust the stakes." She caught him by the shoulder and rifled through his pockets until she found his bulging wallet. "My, my, look at all this cash!"

"Hey!" Naruto flailed and tried to reclaim his money with no success. "That's mine!"

"In addition to your terms…" Tsunade grinned wickedly. "If I win, I get all your money. If you win, I give you this," she said and held up the crystal necklace that hung around her neck.

"Sure, whatever," Naruto snorted. "I'll win and get your apology, take your necklace, and get you back to the village, Baa-chan! Ten days is more than enough time!"

"It's a deal you brat," Tsunade snarled and dumped his wallet at his feet before storming off. "Be ready to say you're sorry and pay up."

"Nasty old bat!" Naruto huffed and gathered up his precious Gama-chan.

When he looked up, both Tsunade and Jiraiya were gone. Only the dark-haired lady and the pig were left. He frowned at the other woman curiously.

"Who are you?"

"I am Shizune, Tsunade-sama's apprentice," the dark-haired woman said quietly. "I'm not sure that you realize what you're getting yourself into, Naruto-kun."

"What?" he frowned. "She's the 'Legendary Sucker' right? I'll totally get the jutsu mastered in time!"

"It's not just that," she sighed. "Tsunade-sama's necklace…it's cursed."

"It's cursed?" He squinted at her. "That's stupid. How's it cursed?"

Shizune sighed. "It's a long story. Let's go sit down and eat something and I'll tell you."

"Okay," Naruto eagerly agreed.

Food was good. And information was better. Information was a weapon in the hands of a ninja. Anything he could get on Tsunade was great.

Because right now, she was the enemy…and he wasn't about to lose to an old hag like her!

* * *

Jiraiya went after Tsunade, pausing only to buy a nice jug of sake to share.

Naruto was clever to play to her gambling weakness like that, but again he was being reckless. If he couldn't pull off the full _Rasengan_ in ten days, his gambit would fail. Even with the incredible strides that the kid had managed so far, ten days to master the final step was a real stretch.

It was time to start on the back-up plan. Tsunade had been out of the village for a long time—she'd left before Minato's accident. She had no clue what was going on back in the village. Once she knew everything—Minato's problems, Naruto's problems, the whole Uzumaki-Namikaze mess, etc.—perhaps he could start subtly persuading her to come back regardless of the results of the bet.

When he caught up with her, she was sitting up on an ornate wooden archway, staring off into the night.

"Hey, Tsunade-hime!" he waved and held up the sake jug. "Want a drink?"

* * *

Naruto found a good place outside of the town where there were a lot of trees. Trying not to pop the balloon was way too annoying. He would just test the jutsu out on tree trunks like Jiraiya had demonstrated until he got it right.

Clenching his teeth, his left hand started the chakra spinning on his right palm. He added chakra and concentrated it, ignoring the way it made his hands ache and throb. And when he was sure he had it, he slammed it into a tree.

Shizune had told him all about Tsunade and the events that had driven her from Konoha. It was terrible that she'd lost her little brother that way, and the man that she wanted to marry, and both times just after giving away her necklace. But he wasn't them, and there was no curse. And it was stupid that she was still so nasty and bitter after so many years; it was stupid that she was just running away and not bothering to try and make new friends and move on with her life.

The attack fizzled out after carving the loose spiral and Naruto growled before going at it again.

_I will master this jutsu! I will make Tsunade-baa-chan eat her words and come home! I will win!_

Yondy-sama needed Tsunade's medical genius. The village needed Yondy-sama back (Tsunade as Hokage just sounded like a nightmare—she'd gamble away the village!). And his mother was counting on him.

_I have to win…_


	19. Broken Memory

**Chapter 18:** _  
Broken Memory_

Minato laid on his back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. When he'd been discharged from the hospital the day before, he'd expected to return to the apartment that he'd lived in since attaining jounin status. Instead, the ANBU had helped him to the Hokage manor.

It didn't feel like his room. It didn't feel like his _house_. But apparently he lived here now…alone.

_She's avoiding me…_

It had taken one long week for the doctors to decide that he was healthy enough and ready to leave the hospital. Kakashi had briefly visited him one more time before leaving on a seek-and-destroy mission. But Kushina hadn't come back.

He squeezed his eyes shut and sighed.

Kakashi had advised him not to ask around about Kushina and his relationship with her. The fact that he was involved with her was a secret; not even the ANBU knew about it. Kushina was the best (and really the _only_) person to ask.

_…Although it's kind of hard to ask her __**anything**__ when she's avoiding me._

During his long, uneventful stay in the hospital, unsure of what he should and shouldn't ask about, he'd tried to piece together what he could by himself.

When he'd first awakened (and every time he'd slept since) he had experienced strange, fragmentary dreams. He assumed they were dreams because they made absolutely no sense to him. But what if they weren't just dreams—what if they had some basis in truth?

There were certain things consistent between the odd scenes that visited him when he was asleep. He was the Yondaime Hokage. Kushina seemed to work as his assistant. Naruto always had those strange marks on his cheeks. Jiraiya-sensei always appeared to be away. And Kakashi apparently read porn…all the time.

But there was so much that didn't make sense!

He never seemed happy or satisfied with being Hokage—a position that he'd strived to attain his entire ninja career. He and Kushina never seemed to treat each other as anything more than distant friends, _even in private_. They never hugged or kissed or did anything intimate or affectionate. And Naruto called him "Yondy-sama," a strange but cute corruption of "Yondaime-sama"—never dad or daddy or anything like that. Not only that, but no one seemed to acknowledge the boy as his son even though Naruto looked a great deal like him and seemed to spend a great deal of time in the Tower, in his office.

_I…I just don't understand._

Frustrated, Minato abandoned his bed to do a bit of pacing.

He felt lost. It was like he'd woken up in someone else's life, not his own. And he hated that feeling.

_…I've been released from the hospital,_ he thought suddenly, pausing mid-stride. _I don't have to sit around and wait for her to come see me. I can go see her._

He quite liked that idea.

Taking a moment to swap the pajamas he was wearing for some civilian clothes (khaki pants and a blue hoodie) that he dug out of one of his drawers, he left the mansion for Kushina's apartment building. Performing a simple _henge_ he changed his hair and eye color to avoid notice. He really wasn't in the mood to stop and greet people on the street who wanted to chat with the legendary _Kiroi Senkou_.

It took longer to get to his destination than he liked. After almost an entire month of doing nothing but being sedated, it would take some time before he was back in fighting condition. Still, he found it embarrassing that he had to stop and rest twice before he reached her apartment door.

…At least, what he _thought_ was her apartment door.

It was covered in graffiti. The door, and part of the wall on either side of it, was layered with spray-paint and permanent marker. All sorts of vague threats and angry curses were scrawled there, and words like "demon", "fox", and "monster" appeared again and again in the angry mess.

_What the hell?!_

Deeply disturbed, he lost his grip on the _henge_ that he'd disguised himself with and frowned at the vandalism.

_Maybe…she's moved?_

He traced a symbol that he vaguely recognized as a folk ward against evil and shivered.

_I hope that she moved…_

* * *

Kushina fully admitted to herself that she was being a coward.

But how could she face him and explain what she had done?

She had given up on him—on _them_. She had volunteered their son to be a living prison for the most feared demon in existence. She had never bothered to inform him about his son. And she had never told their son about his father.

It was easier to avoid him.

…Except when he decided to show up on her doorstep.

Sunday was a slow day, even for ninjas. Taking advantage of the light business going on at the Tower, she slipped away to do some grocery shopping as her cupboards were getting rather bare. With two hefty bags filled with food, she headed home to drop it off…and found that Minato had arrived ahead of her.

She froze.

_What is he doing here?! …And what is he staring at?_

_Oh crap._

She'd forgotten about the graffiti. She kept procrastinating painting over it with Naruto away. She barely noticed it anymore.

_Crap! Crap, crap, crap!_

There was no running away; no more avoiding. She'd put off talking to him for far too long. There was no way around him and she had melting ice cream in her bags.

Kushina sucked in a deep breath, marched up to him, shoved her groceries into his arms so that her hands were free to unlock the door and disarm the seals embedded in the doorframe, and then dragged him inside with her and her newly-purchased food. After locking the door behind him and rearming the seals, she towed him into the kitchen, took the bags from him, and started putting things away. She studiously avoided looking at his face as she worked.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

"I came to see you," he replied, equally quietly. "You were avoiding me."

It was devastatingly easy to imagine the kicked puppy look on his face.

"You could've ordered me to appear," she muttered. "You didn't have to trudge all the way over here."

"…I suppose I could've done that." The idea obviously hadn't occurred to him. He wasn't used to being the Hokage and having that kind of power. "I wanted to come here; the Hokage's residence is too big and empty."

He caught her wrist as she reached into one of the grocery bags to grab a box of cereal. "What happened to your door?"

"Angry, stupid villagers," she growled.

"Kushina—"

"It's a long story," she interrupted and pulled her arm free. "Tell me…do you remember your last mission, where you escorted a nobleman to the Land of Rice Paddies?"

"Yes," he said slowly. "I remember…he was very irritating…and slow. I really wanted to get home…because you were sick."

Kushina snorted and started to brew some tea. "I wasn't sick."

"You'd been throwing up for almost a solid month!" he sputtered.

"I wasn't sick," she repeated, finally daring to glance at his face. "I went to the doctor while you were away, like you'd been begging me to, and he told me that I was pregnant. The throwing up thing was morning sickness."

Minato blinked. "…Oh."

"Do you remember returning to Konoha after dropping off the annoying noble?"

"…I think so," he murmured. "I was impatient…I almost used a _Hiraishin_ shortcut, but…I ran into someone…"

"Orochimaru," she informed him.

"Yes," he nodded, his eyes far off and unfocused. "Yes. I stopped to talk with him, and…and…" He frowned. "…I don't know."

"He wanted to eliminate you as a rival for the office of Hokage, so he drugged you and tried to place some kind of seal on you," Kushina told him. "You escaped before he could finish, but the damage was already done."

"Damage?" His blue eyes were wide with alarm. "What damage?"

"You stumbled back to the village a couple of weeks later and you had almost complete amnesia."

He stiffened in shock. "What?"

"All you retained were your ninja skills and the memory of the village gates," she said. "That malformed seal locked everything else away. You didn't remember your own name, or Jiraiya, or Kakashi, or me, or anyone."

"No!" he denied, a panicked look spreading over his face. "No! I couldn't have…" And then he was holding her; crushing her face into his chest. "I'd never forget you!"

"…But you did," she sighed, blinking back the beginnings of tears as she let him hold her. "I tried to talk to you after you'd returned, tried to tell you what the doctor had said…but you had no idea who I was."

"No!" he whimpered into her hair.

The teakettle whistled.

Kushina swallowed hard and reluctantly extricated herself from his grip to continue her tea-making. "I was angry at first…but I got over it and forgave you a long time ago. It wasn't your fault; you didn't do it on purpose."

Minato didn't reply. He just stood in her kitchen while she got her tea ready and stared at a random spot on her floor, lost in thought. He didn't seem to return to the present time until she had moved him to the living room, sat him on her couch, and put a teacup in his hand.

"This seal…Jiraiya-sensei got it off, right?"

"He tried," she sighed and sipped at her tea. "But you're a seal master; you know how tricky it can be to fiddle with an incomplete seal that you know nothing about. And any time anyone tried to tamper with it, the seal would cause you pain. Sandaime-sama ended up forbidding anymore tinkering with it out of fear that it might maim or kill you."

He fell silent again as he digested this.

She watched him warily from her end of the couch.

"So…until now…I never remembered anything?" he asked at last.

She nodded, "Yes."

He frowned at her in confusion. "So how did I get to be Hokage?"

"Times were desperate after Sandaime-sama's death," she shrugged. "As far as I know, Jiraiya masterminded the whole thing."

"How did Hiruzen-sama die?"

"He sacrificed himself to stop the _Kyuubi no Yoko_ from reaching the village and razing it to the ground."

"The nine-tailed fox?!" he hissed in alarm.

"Yep," she nodded grimly and stared into her tea.

"How did he stop it?"

Kushina swirled the tea in her cup. "The details of the Kyuubi's defeat are classified as an S-rank village secret because when information was leaked about it to the civilians they started rioting."

"Rioting?" He put down his untouched cup of tea on the coffee table. "What did Sandaime-sama do?!"

"Without the _Mokuton_ powers of the Senju, or Uchiha Madara's special eyes, the only way left to stop it was to imprison it in a container with powerful seals." She kept her eyes fixed on her murky tea.

"Seal it in a… But the only thing that could hold a power like that would be… He created a Jinchuuriki?!"

"You developed the chakra-managing seals that made it possible," she pointed out, uneasy at the horror she heard in his voice.

There was a heavy stretch of silence.

"Kushina…what child was used in the sealing?"

It took all of her strength to answer. "…Naruto."

"Wh-_what_?!" He was suddenly beside her, gripping her shoulders painfully and forcing her to look at him. "_Why_?! Why did you—"

"No one else would do it!" she snapped, looking desperately into his wild eyes. "If no one volunteered, Sandaime-sama would have to go through orphans to find a suitable baby. Would you doom a child with no family to love it with such a terrible burden? And if there were no orphans of the right age, he would have to compel a family to surrender their child to save the village."

"But…" He let go of her shoulders and his arms fell limply to his sides. "Naruto…"

Kushina dearly wished that she could sock Kakashi in the mouth for spilling the beans on Naruto to Minato. Sure he would've found out about it eventually, but he might've taken everything a bit better knowing Naruto as the Jinchuuriki first and then learning of the boy's parentage. And really, he should've learned about his son from her, not from his student or anyone else.

"…When is his birthday?" Minato asked softly.

"October tenth," she answered and tossed back the rest of her tea, ignoring the way it burned her throat. "He'll be thirteen soon."

Leaving him sitting stunned on the couch, she crossed the living room to a cabinet. She removed a photo album from it and put it on the coffee table in front of the blonde. Taking her empty cup and his abandoned full one, she took them into the kitchen. After pouring the tea back into the kettle and leaving the cups in the sink, she briefly returned to the living room.

"I'm going to take a nap. You can look at those pictures if you want. We can talk more later."

And then she headed into her bedroom and collapsed on the bed.

Originally she'd planned to return to the Tower after her grocery run to do a little more work, but now…work was the furthest thing from her weary mind.

_I'm sorry, Minato…so sorry…_

* * *

Minato stared numbly at the photo book sitting on the coffee table.

He felt like he was falling, drowning. His mind grappled with this rush of terrible new information with little success. It seemed like it should be a nightmare instead of reality.

Struggling to clear his head, he took the photo album and opened it.

A blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby's toothless grin beamed up at him from the first page. The infant was propped up on pillows and dressed in dark blue one-piece footie pajamas. If not for the whisker marks on the boy's cheeks, Minato would swear that he was looking at one of his own baby pictures.

_Naruto…_

The next page was another picture of his son. He was a few months older and crawling around on the carpet. There was a pacifier in his mouth, but it was clear that he was grinning behind it.

With each page, Naruto got a little bit older. He was sitting in a highchair making a horrible mess out of his food. He was playing in a sandbox in the park and getting filthy. He was staring at a toad with a look of rapt fascination on his round whiskered face. Naruto always looked cute, and always looked happy.

And then he came to a photo where Naruto was about three or four years old. The boy was sitting in the Hokage's office in Minato's lap with a rubber stamp clutched in his tiny hands. It looked like Naruto was stamping documents under his direction…and having an absolute blast.

_"This is fun! Can I stamp more papers tomorrow, Yondy-sama?"_

_"We'll see, Naruto."_

Minato stared at that picture for a long time. It seemed to pull some of the hazy, dream-like fragments into clearer focus. He could almost remember what he'd been thinking and feeling back then.

There were other pictures of him and his son together. Naruto had the Hokage's hat on and was running down the halls with Minato chasing him. Naruto was curled up like a cat and asleep on his lap. Minato was slipping Naruto a few sticks of Pocky (but obviously he wasn't being sneaky enough as there was a picture of the illicit candy transaction).

Pictures of Naruto and Kushina together were harder to find. There were only a few pictures where Kushina and Naruto were together in the frame. In the first one he found, the boy was sitting in her lap in the park during what looked like a little picnic. In most of the other pictures where she appeared, it was just her hand reaching into the frame to hold him still or wipe his face, or some of her hair drifting into the picture, or her in the distance doing something else while Naruto showed off for the camera.

The further into the album Minato went, the older Naruto became and fewer pictures were taken. When he came to the last pages of pictures, Naruto was a genin. There was a larger image of the team picture that Kakashi had shown him. There was a picture of Naruto grinning with his new hitae-ate tied to his forehead and Kushina standing behind him with a proud smile on her face. And there was a photo of Naruto with him in the Hokage's office, apparently celebrating Naruto becoming a ninja.

_"This is so awesome! I'm an official ninja now!"_

_"Yes you are."_

_"Now I'm one step closer to my goal!"_

_"Oh, and what is that?"_

_"I'm going to be the best ninja ever! I'm going to be Hokage, just like you Yondy-sama!"_

He smiled.

_My son…_

Minato set the album down and sighed. He felt a little better. The pictures had been the distraction that he needed.

He got up from the couch and wandered around the apartment. For the most part it looked the same as he was used to seeing it. But there were little things that threw him briefly.

There were a few new pictures on the wall. She had three bonsai trees instead of just two. There were seals embedded in the door and windows…seals that felt like his work.

_"Hokage-sama, could you do me a small favor? People keep trying to break into my apartment, so could you show me how to ward it with seals?"_

It seemed that he'd done more than instruct her how to do it. He'd gone and done it himself. Seal masters, like other professionals and craftsmen, can recognize their work anywhere.

_…It's because of Naruto being the Jinchuuriki_, he realized. _That's why there's graffiti on the door._

Minato shook his head and turned his thoughts away from…_that_. Thinking on things that he couldn't change would only make him angry. He could always stew on it later.

He headed for the apartment's second bedroom. When Kushina had first started renting the place, she'd gone for two bedrooms because, as a freshly-promoted jounin, she could afford it and getting what felt like a ridiculously large apartment was a status symbol to her. She joked about using the spare room as storage space, a dedicated weapons' room, a place to display souvenirs from her travels… He doubted that she ever imagined it would be used as a child's bedroom.

Peeking inside, he found the basic young boy's room. The bed was sloppily made, the desk was covered in manga, what looked to be a worn-out stuffed animal peeked out from underneath a pillow, and there were a few posters tapped to the walls. A few potted plants sat on his windowsill, including a bonsai tree and a pot full of dandelions.

_Dandelions…_ His mouth twitched. _Kushina always liked to tease me about my hair reminding her of dandelions._

Shutting the door to Naruto's room, Minato headed for the only room he hadn't yet poked his head into.

Kushina's bedroom was dark, lit only by the light that spilled in through her half-open door. She lay on top of the covers with her back to the doorway. He could tell that she wasn't asleep yet.

"Where is Naruto?" he asked curiously.

"He's off on a mission with Jiraiya," she mumbled.

"He's with Jiraiya-sensei?" Minato kicked off his shoes and sat on the edge of her bed. "What are they doing?"

"Looking for Tsunade," she answered softly. "Everyone thought that you were going to die, and if anyone could save you it would be her. And…if you couldn't be saved…"

"…I see." He laid back on the bed and fiddled with the end of her braid. "Those were some cute pictures."

She sniffed. "I like to tell Naruto that I put those pictures together for the day when he starts bringing girlfriends home so that I can embarrass him."

"You're so mean," he chuckled.

"I know."

Minato smiled. While he enjoyed Kushina's energetic personality and humor, he enjoyed the quiet times with her even more. Her presence was comforting and relaxing.

"I missed you," she whispered suddenly, her voice strained and wavering. "It was so hard…"

He rolled over and hugged her back. "I'm sorry."

She squirmed around to bury her face into his chest and cry. He held her tighter.

_I'm sorry. I didn't mean to forget you. But I remember now._

_I remember you, koibito._

* * *

***

_Koibito_ = lover, sweetheart


	20. Broken Past

**Chapter 19:** _  
Broken Past_

Tsunade slumped in the shadow of a tree, sipped at water, and wished for her hangover to fade faster. The three days that the brat had thought he would need to master the jutsu had come and gone without incident. A week had passed, leaving the little punk roughly three days to win or blow it.

_I can't wait,_ she thought sourly. _Three days and that little brat will apologize and hand over his cash…_

Even though his little wallet looked quite stuffed, it was doubtful that the money would do her any good. Her gambling debts were massive. All his little wad of bills would be good for was sake money.

Once she had his money, she could leave this town for another.

_"Isn't it rather cruel of you to make such a bet with him, Tsunade?"_ Jiraiya had complained that night as they had shared sake. _"To give him more time, but not enough to succeed, and then go take all his money and stomp on his pride that way?"_

_"I'm teaching him a lesson. He'll learn not to promise things he can't deliver."_ She'd laughed at him. _"So you see I'm not really being cruel; I'm doing you a favor by educating your new little disciple for you!"_

He hadn't been particularly amused. Jiraiya went on to educate her about his new charge. If he hadn't been dead-serious when he'd told her, she would've thought he was spinning some crazy tale to her.

_To think that a little moron like that imprisons the most dangerous of all the Bijuu…_ She shook her head and drank more water. _I'm surprised that the village is still standing._

The kid's story was a messed up one. Host of the Kyuubi, pariah of the village, Konoha genin with foolish aspirations to be Hokage, unwitting son of the current Hokage, and half the reason that the Yondaime hovered in limbo. The boy was in a load of trouble.

Minato's troubles were just as bad, if not worse. Struck with amnesia from a seal, pushed into being Hokage by his sensei, living ignorant of the child right under his nose, and now hovering between life and death. From what Jiraiya had told her about his injuries and last known condition, it didn't sound like there was much that even she could do.

_That little Hokage-wannabe wants me to save the Yondaime from his stupid mistake. Jiraiya wants me to save his precious student who he had pushed into that dangerous position in the first place in spite of his mental impairments._ She snorted and leaned back against the tree. _I'm the only one that can bail them both out…too bad for them that I'm not a medical ninja anymore._

She was through with the world of shinobi. That world had brutally slaughtered her baby brother and stolen away the man that she was going to marry in spite of all that she did to save him. That world was nothing but death and pain and she was done with it.

She hated Konohagakure no Sato and they would have to kill her to make her return to that wretched place.

_"So you will sit by and let Minato die?"_ Jiraiya had asked her when she made her position of the matter of returning to the village clear. _"You'll simply let him go join Nawaki and Dan? …That's just a hair away from killing him yourself."_

Tsunade rolled her eyes at her former teammate's foolish statement. She wasn't the one who pushed him to become Hokage when his memory was just one big hole—Jiraiya had. She wasn't the one who tried to seal him, and then come back to finish the job years later—that was Orochimaru's crime. Of all the Sannin, she was the only one of the three who had done nothing to ruin Namikaze Minato's life.

Draining her water, she got up and strolled back into the heart of town. Her hangover had eased enough for her to consider what she wanted to do for the day. Should she find a card house or look for a dice game?

_"Tsunade-sama! Do you know if sensei is home? I want to look at his books."_

_Tsunade blinked at the blonde teenager and opened her mouth to answer—_

_"Found you, Namikaze!"_

_The teenager stumbled as a red-haired girl tackled him from behind._

_"Kushina-san?" he grunted and struggled to keep his feet. "Did you really have to jump on me?"_

_"Yes, I did!" the girl smirked. "You promised you'd help me. I'm redeeming that promise." She got off his back, grabbed his arm, and started dragging him off towards the training grounds. "So let's go!"_

_"I'm coming, I'm coming!" he yelped. "You don't have to drag me!"_

_Tsunade chuckled a little as she watched the pair disappear down the street._

_"I wonder what their children would be like," she murmured to herself._

"Tsunade-sama?"

The woman Sannin flinched and blinked to see Shizune standing in front of her, looking worried.

"Are you alright?" Dan's niece asked.

"I'm fine," Tsunade grunted and stormed down the street. "I need to find a bar."

"But Tsunade-sama!" Shizune gasped. "It's not even noon yet!"

"Who cares," the blonde woman growled.

_I need to forget…_

* * *

Hinata stood on a street corner and stared up at a building. It was an apartment building, like many others in the village. What made this one special was that it was the building that Naruto lived in.

_It's been over a month and he's still not back…_

She was worried.

The angry mutterings that seemed to swirl around Naruto's name had faded some with people distracted about rumors of the Hokage's possible miraculous recovery. But there were still some angry rumblings directed at him. And her team was no closer to having any idea why.

Shino had tried asking his father and gotten no answer whatsoever on the subject of Naruto. The way he had been refused bothered him, and he persuaded his teammates to ask their families. She and Kiba had had no better luck.

Her father had been annoyed when she'd stumbled and stuttered through asking him if there was any reason that Uzumaki Naruto seemed to be so hated. He ordered her to forget whatever foolish rumors that she'd overheard and concern herself more with improving herself. Stupid stories born of the ignorance of civilians were worthless.

She had squeaked agreement and fled his presence.

_But how does ignorance explain anything? What are they ignorant of about Naruto that would make people say and think such things? Otou-sama didn't answer the question, just like Shino-kun's father and Kiba-kun's mother didn't answer._

Her pale violet eyes blinked up at the apartment building in apprehension.

Shino wanted to find Naruto's family and talk with them. However, Shino's father had taken him on a clan mission the day before and it would be at least a week until he returned. Kiba had started to take their little investigation more seriously, but he didn't seem interested in trying to find Naruto's parents. That left her…

_I can't do it._

She knew where Naruto's apartment building was, but she never found out which apartment was his. She had watched Naruto all throughout their years in the Academy, but she'd never noticed who his family was. She'd always been too afraid to get caught staring by anyone to probe further or do more than peek around tree trunks, bushes, and corners.

_I can't… I should just go find Kiba-kun and see if he will train with me today—_

"Uh, Hinata?"

The Hyuuga girl squeaked and spun around to find Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura standing behind her.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked curiously.

"I…I…u-um…I w-was…"

Sasuke sighed in annoyance and walked around her and across the street towards the apartment building.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun wait!" Sakura yelped and jogged after him.

Hinata hesitated for a moment, and then followed them. She wasn't sure why she was following them; neither of them seemed to notice or care that she was trailing them. They were Naruto's teammates. Perhaps she could find something to ask them, and the courage to open her mouth.

They climbed a few flights of stairs, turned a few corners, and came to a door…

"What the hell?" Sasuke growled.

The door they'd stopped in front of was covered in graffiti. All kinds of threats and insults were spray-painted on it or scrawled in dark-colored marker. Several crumpled notes and a few dead rats laid in front of the door.

"It's not fresh," Sakura muttered as she traced a finger over the door. "This has been here for at least a day, maybe longer."

"W-what's going on?" Hinata whispered to herself in shock.

"I don't know," Sakura shrugged, hearing her whisper. "We just came here to see if Naruto had come back yet…"

"N-Naruto-kun lives h-here?" Hinata squeaked.

"Yeah," Sakura nodded. "With his mom."

Sasuke had picked up one of the crumpled wads of paper and read the note scrawled on it. His impassive face shifted into a clear frown. Sakura peeked over his shoulder and read it out loud.

"If he ever returns, he's dead! No forgiveness…"

Hinata shivered and huddled down in her baggy coat.

_Naruto-kun…_

The Uchiha crushed the paper in his hands and loudly knocked on the door.

After a minute the door opened—

_Kushina-san?!_

Hinata immediately recognized the woman who had sat next to her and Kiba during the Finals of the Chuunin Exam. She'd seen the woman several times since then in the Tower when drawing D-rank missions with her team, but never spoken to her again. The red-haired woman always looked tired and glum when she was the one handing out the scrolls at the mission desk and Hinata wished she had the courage to speak to her…

_She lives here? _The Hyuuga girl blinked. _Then that means…that Kushina-san is…Naruto-kun's mother?!_

"Hi Sasuke, Sakura…and Hinata?" Kushina tilted her head curiously. "Huh. What a nice surprise! What are you…" she trailed off and frowned at the outside of her door. "Damn it! I keep forgetting this stuff is here!"

"Who did it?" Sasuke demanded.

"Eh, some bored civilian punks probably." Kushina muttered, not the least bit concerned. "It happens every now and then. A bunch of bored village teens decide to break the monotony or blow off some steam by vandalizing the crazy lady's house or something." She glanced down and wrinkled her nose. "Ick, they left dead rats, too. Dumb punks."

"What about this?" Sasuke scowled and thrust the doubly-crumpled note at her.

"Hate mail," she shrugged, not even bothering to read it. "A lot of people got pissed off when I moved here. I'm too noisy, or something. And other people think Naruto's a good-for-nothing trouble-maker and would be very happy if he moved elsewhere. I don't bother reading it anymore."

"How long has…that stuff been on the door?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"Oh…" Kushina fingered her hair absently. "A while. I've been too busy lately to remember to paint over it." She snapped her fingers and grinned. "I got it! How about I write up a D-rank on this and save it just for you! It'll be easy money for you." Her eyes drifted over to Hinata. "You want in on it too, Hinata?"

"Y-y-yes," she squeaked. She would gladly help Naruto and his family. He would surely be upset if he came home to see this mess…

"Okay, it's settled then!" the woman smiled and leaned against her doorframe. "So…what brings you three here?"

"We wanted to see if Naruto was back," Sakura replied.

Kushina shook her head. "No, sorry, not yet."

Sasuke made a growling sound in his throat, gathered up the rest of the notes and the dead rats, and left.

"Bye, Kushina-san!" Sakura hurriedly bowed and scampered after her Uchiha teammate. "Sasuke-kun, wait up!"

Hinata hesitated in following them.

"I'd invite you in, Hinata, but my place is a bit of a mess right now," Kushina said apologetically. "Some other time, maybe?"

"Uh, s-sure," Hinata gulped, nervously fidgeting.

"Good," Naruto's mother smiled. "Have a nice day!"

And then she vanished behind her graffiti'd door.

Hinata let out a shaky sigh and left.

_Kushina-san is Naruto-kun's mother… She's very nice. But…they don't look that much alike._

* * *

His hand twitched. It sluggishly groped around the bed. Finding nothing, he frowned and cracked his eyelids open.

_She got up._

With a sigh that turned into a yawn, Minato stretched and sat up. He hadn't intended to spend the night, but when Kushina had drifted off to sleep he hadn't felt like leaving and eventually did the same. And now it was Monday morning.

_Wow!_ He blinked at the glowing numbers of the alarm clock. _It's after ten… I usually don't sleep that late._

Rubbing gritty sleep from his eyes with one hand, Minato stumbled from the bedroom while trying to brush the wrinkles from his clothes. He blinked owlishly at the brighter light in the living room and paused until his eyes adjusted. When he could see clearly, and when his brain felt less fuzzy, he poked his head into the small kitchen…

…Where Kushina was cooking.

He blinked a couple times.

"You cook now?"

She jumped slightly and peered over her shoulder at him with a frown. "Yes, I have learned how to cook. Try not to panic."

"Oh." Minato slipped into the kitchen and sat at the table. "What are you making?"

"Eggs," she answered. "You want some?"

He hesitated. He clearly remembered the last time she'd tried to cook for him. It hadn't been a pleasant experience…

_That was years ago, _he reminded himself. _She says she can cook now…and nothing smells like it's burning…so…_

"Sure," he agreed.

"'Kay," she muttered and turned her eyes back to the skillet on the stove. "So, you slept well?"

"Mm-hm," he smiled. "Did you?"

"Yes…" She retrieved a pair of plates from a cabinet and started divvying up the eggs. "You didn't have to stay."

"I wanted to." His heart sank a bit. "Did you want me to go?"

"No." She brought him the eggs and some chopsticks to eat with, avoiding looking him in the eye. "I was just saying that you could've gone…if you wanted to."

"Well I didn't want to." Minato took a bite of egg…and was relieved that it didn't taste toxic. "Hey, this is pretty good!"

"I told you that I learned how to cook," Kushina huffed. "I had to. You can't raise a kid on instant cup ramen and frozen TV dinners."

He nodded. "It would be nice if you could," he joked.

She snorted and focused on devouring her eggs.

Minato smiled faintly and enjoyed his breakfast.

This was what he wanted. He wanted to wake up with her every morning and go to sleep with her every night. He wanted to enjoy meals with her, raise children with her, grow old with her. He wanted to marry her.

That was why he'd commissioned that ring—

_Oh no!_ He was so startled that he started to choke a bit on his eggs. _The ring!_

What if his amnesiac-self had not realized the significance of the ring and lost it or gotten rid of it?

"Are you okay?" Kushina frowned.

"Yeah," he wheezed, eyes watering. "Just swallowed wrong."

"Well don't do that," she snorted and got him a glass of water. "It would be a real shame if you choked to death now, after everything."

"It would," he hoarsely agreed.

"Hmm," she snapped her fingers. "Before I forget…" She briefly vanished, and reappeared with a hefty book that she dumped next to his nearly empty plate. "That's yours, isn't it?"

Minato squinted at the cover and grinned. "Yes it is. I wondered where I put it… Where was it?"

"Under my bed."

He raised a curious eyebrow. "How did it get there?"

"You kicked it there…or I kicked it there." She shrugged.

"Huh?"

"Think back," she advised. "Think back to the day when I educated you on the two uses of a bed."

For a minute he drew a blank…and then it came to him and he smiled sheepishly.

A few apartments in his building had developed a cockroach problem, so exterminators were fumigating the whole building to take care of it. He had retreated to Kushina's apartment and brought some books to study. She had returned to find him reading dusty old books on her bed.

_"Minato, there are two uses for a bed. The primary one is sleeping. The secondary one…is __**not**__ studying."_

She had then proceeded to give him various examples of the secondary use…which had surely pissed off her neighbors for hours.

"I…think I recall that," he grinned. "Could you refresh my memory?"

Kushina flushed. "Uh…no, can't."

He pouted. "Why not?"

"I didn't bother to get back on birth control after Naruto was born," she grumbled.

"…Oh." He cocked his head. "Why not?"

"I hate trying to remember to take a pill every morning, and what was the point?" She gathered up the used dishes and put them in the sink. "With you not remembering me, who exactly was I going to sleep with?"

He frowned thoughtfully as she filled the sink with hot water and soap. "Why didn't you ever…come to me in the beginning and explain who you were?"

"There were dozens of girls who claimed to be your secret girlfriend or your secret lover or your secret fiancée or your secret wife." She viciously scrubbed at a plate. "I wasn't interested in that whole mess. I was too overwhelmed in dealing with a baby coming. I was too upset over what happened to you."

"But…why not say something later?" he asked. "Why did you just settle for being my assistant?"

"I…was afraid to," she half-whispered. "I was afraid that we would be an obligation. I was afraid that, because you didn't remember, you wouldn't care for us… I didn't want to risk that."

He got up to hug her from behind. "You didn't think that I could fall in love with you again?"

"Why would you?" she breathed.

"Why wouldn't I?" he countered and started nibbling on her neck.

"Minato!" she squeaked and clutched at the edge of the kitchen counter. "S-stop it!"

"Why?" he murmured against her skin. "I have years and years to make up for. Why not start now?"

"But…b-but I…" She gasped as his hand worked its way under her shirt. "I can't think when you do that!"

"That's the idea," he chuckled into her shoulder.

"Jerk! If I get pregnant from this…I'm going to kick your ass!"

He grinned. "Deal!"

Kushina was the strongest, boldest woman that he knew. However, she was strangely insecure about her looks and how she stacked up against other "more feminine" women. It led her to be confused as to why he was interested in her, which he didn't understand at all.

He thought she was beautiful and wonderful, and he intended to show her just how much he adored her…


	21. Broken Shadows

**Chapter 20:**  
_Broken Shadows_

Mikoto weeded her vegetable garden in the late afternoon, just after the heat of the day had passed. She preferred tending flowers to vegetables, but it was cheaper to grow things like tomatoes instead of buying them all the time from the market. Sasuke appreciated her efforts and so it was worth it.

However, her mind wasn't on satisfying her son's love of tomatoes. Instead, her thoughts swirled around the Hokage and his secretary…

The Yondaime Hokage was alive. A mistake with his sedatives had allowed him to regain consciousness and instead of suffering more seizures like the doctors feared he would he seemed lucid, almost normal. Aside from some confusion and memory loss, Namikaze Minato appeared to be unharmed from the seal and its disastrous removal.

And from the day that the Yondaime awoke, his secretary made herself scarce. For a whole week she had politely declined Mikoto's invitations for tea and hidden away in archive rooms. When Mikoto had gone to the Tower earlier, she hadn't even come in to work and no one knew why or where she was.

_You would think that she would be happy that Hokage-sama is well. But she never seemed happy, she seemed upset. Why? Have I…misinterpreted her?_

It didn't seem likely, but she supposed it was possible. The exhaustion and sorrow she saw in Uzumaki-san could have been solely the result of overwork and grief over her son, and had nothing to do with the Hokage. Perhaps she resented the man and was upset that she would have to work even harder for him to get him back into shape to rule the village.

_But why work for him for a full decade if she hated him._ Mikoto used a trowel to dig up a particularly long weed root. _Perhaps…it was to insure her son's safety? If she kept herself and Naruto in Yondaime-sama's good graces…he would protect them._

It was calculating and somewhat cold-blooded, but possible.

_Maybe I misjudged her…_ Mikoto's hand briefly strayed to her scarred, half-lame leg. _I certainly never thought that Itachi would…do what he did. And he is my first-born son._

_If I don't know my own family, how can I know a stranger?_

* * *

The Hokage Manor was just too big. And worse, he was too tired to properly search the place. After ruining his stamina with his long hospital stay and then…exercising…he felt rather lucky to have not fallen asleep in the shower once he made it back from Kushina's place.

_I am so out of shape,_ he sighed as he lay limply on his bed. _I barely did anything today and I feel like Gamabunta fell on me. Urgh…_

He would've liked to use the last hours of daylight poking around his official residence for the ring, but he doubted he could stay upright long enough to get through more than one room. Now that he recalled its existence and realized how he'd been living for the last decade and then some, he had to find out if it was safe. He'd put a lot of thought and several large paychecks into that thing and it would be horrible if he'd lost it.

Kushina hated jewelry. She never wore earrings or bracelets or necklaces or rings. Whenever she spied a sparkly engagement ring with a large diamond, she made fun of it.

So when he made up his mind to marry her, he had to get creative.

He found a nice jeweler who was willing to make a ring where a fairly cheap semi-precious green stone was the focus and two tiny diamonds were the trimmings. The windblown leaf pattern on the pale gold band was a nice touch, he thought. He hoped Kushina would like it…

Sighing, he rolled over to grope around in his nightstand drawer in hopes of finding a book to read. He was tired, yet he couldn't seem to just fall asleep. There was no Kushina to cuddle with here, so a book would have to suffice.

_I need to get her to move in with me_, he grumbled to himself.

His hand brushed against something squarish and soft, and he frowned. Pulling it out, he found a velvet box that seemed to have been handled enough that parts of the velvet were starting to rub off. Opening the box, he found the ring that he'd been worrying about.

_…Oh!_ He blinked, and a little knot of worry unwound in the pit of stomach. _There it is!_

_Now I just have to ask her…_

Which was easier said than done, of course.

When they had first started stumbling past the bounds of friendship into…something else…the only thing that either of them had worried about was making sure that if it ended, they would stay friends. There was never any talk of any solid, long-term plans for the future. They simply took things day by day and went with what they both felt comfortable doing.

The day he'd picked up the finished ring, he'd been assailed by doubts. What if she didn't want to get married? What if she was happy with the way things were? What if he asked and said no and things got awkward?

And then she'd "gotten sick" and he'd found an excuse to wait. It wouldn't do if he proposed to her and she threw up on his sandals. So he'd settled back and waited…

_I shouldn't have waited,_ he thought bitterly, fingering the open box. _If I'd just gone and asked her…or told Jiraiya-sensei or Kakashi what was going on… Things would be so different now._

He snapped the box closed and set it on top the nightstand.

_She has a real reason to turn me down now._ Minato sighed and closed his eyes. _I've made her wait so long…_

* * *

Tuesday morning dawned peacefully and without any special fanfare. Daisuke arrived at his desk inside the Hokage Tower and sighed as he settled into his chair. Monday had been surprisingly good and he had high hopes for this new day.

He worked in the Tower cataloguing reports that were submitted by field ninjas. He checked the reports of different members of a team to make sure that they didn't conflict. If any anomalies—like conflicting details between reports, or strange events outside of the mission were mentioned—he would flag the reports for further review. And in the rare instance that he went through all the reports that he was supposed to check, he would help out in other departments.

As a child, he'd dreamed of being a ninja. In the Academy, he'd gotten decent grades. But when it came time to actually perform what he'd learned about in the field, he'd flopped. Still wishing to serve the village in some capacity, he found his way into the Tower as a purely administrative genin.

The work was tedious and kind of boring, but he'd gotten used to it. He'd found friends in the office that eased the monotony. It was a challenge to stay focused and it was something he was good at.

It was much better than being a mediocre ninja who was relegated to guarding the village gates or walls because he sometimes fainted at the sight of blood.

"Morning man," Daisuke's desk-neighbor waved around his coffee.

"Morning, Minoru," Daisuke waved back. "How's your in-box?"

"Just as full as yours," Minoru sighed.

Daisuke glanced at the basket labeled "in" on his desk and sighed at the haphazard stack of papers piled in it. "Oh fun…"

"Indeed," Minoru nodded. "So what do you think the odds are of the Dragon Lady coming in to work today?"

"Huh," Daisuke frowned. "That's a toughie."

Normally it wouldn't be.

The "Dragon Lady" (or Ryuu-sama as some secretly called her) was the Yondaime Hokage's right hand woman. She prowled the Tower between running errands for the Hokage and cracked the whip on slacking office workers. When she came into the room everyone had better be working or else.

When Daisuke had first started work in the Tower, she'd also had to bring her kid into work with her. The despised Kyuubi Jinchuuriki was a nightmare which the whole office was glad to be rid of when the brat had finally entered the Academy. If they weren't vigilant, the kid would steal their papers and thoughtlessly use them to draw on with crayon, cut them up with scissors, make them into spitballs, or fold them into paper airplanes.

Ryuu-sama came in every day. She had to be deathly ill to miss terrorizing the administrative ninjas. No matter what, she was always ready to chew someone out or just stare them down until they slunk off in shame (whichever she felt like doing).

But ever since the blow-up at the end of the Chuunin Exams, she hadn't been the same. She was quieter, grimmer; she didn't take the delight that she used to when she laid into a desk ninja. Ryuu-sama's unpredictable fire burned low.

And in the last week, she'd grown even worse. As the office quietly rejoiced in the news that their Yondaime would live and eventually return to occasionally grace them with his friendly presence, she devolved into a phantom. She didn't seem to be all there and even missed a blatant paper airplane being thrown from desk to desk in the decryption department.

Sunday she disappeared from work early.

Monday she didn't come in _at all_.

And now it was Tuesday.

"Come on," Minoru grinned. "Just pick some numbers. Fifty-fifty, sixty-forty, seventy-thirty…what?"

"Lemme think a minute," Daisuke frowned. "Hmm…I'd say the odds of Ryuu-sama coming in today—"

"—Is one hundred percent!"

Daisuke jumped and spun in his chair…to be confronted by the Dragon Lady herself.

This wasn't the ghost of the woman of weeks past. Her blue-green eyes glittered and her innocent-seeming smile reminded him of a shark that smelled blood in the water. Her long red hair was loose, which was rather unusual—she normally had it in a long, rope-like braid that she occasionally threatened to strangle people with.

"Ah, K-Kushina-sama," Daisuke squeaked, sinking down in his chair and starting to sweat. "We were, uh, just…"

"Just getting started on our work!" Minoru cut in helpfully.

"Yeah!" Daisuke nodded and grabbed the first thing from his in-box. "See?"

"Oh good," the woman smiled in approval. "I'll leave you two gentlemen to that then…"

And then she sauntered away in search of another potential victim.

"Aw man," Minoru shuddered as he dug into his allotted paperwork. "I think I saw bits of my childhood flash before my eyes for a minute there."

"Shut up," Daisuke grumbled. "She was standing behind me, not you! Now get to work before she comes back."

_The wrath of the dragon is truly terrible._ He focused his eyes down on the papers on his desktop and started to read. _It's a good thing she only toyed with us a bit. I pity the poor sap who pisses her off…_

* * *

As Naruto's mother had promised, she made painting over the graffiti on her apartment door a D-rank mission, and saved it just for them.

It had to be the easiest D-rank that Sasuke had ever been involved with. Naruto was still away so there was no annoying whining, and Hinata—who filled his empty spot for the day—was quiet, efficient, and didn't get all fangirly over him (which he greatly appreciated). Kushina-san left them all the supplies that they needed (paint, paint brushes, newspaper to cover the floor), left the door unlocked for them, and even gave them permission to raid her fridge if they got hungry.

But Sasuke couldn't really enjoy the simple assignment and easy money that came with it. All he could see was the hate splattered all over and around his front door. Even without the photographic memory provided by active Sharingan eyes, the curses and threats felt burned into his mind.

"She said that this was all because of bored teenagers and annoyed neighbors," he said suddenly, making Sakura and Hinata flinch in surprise. "This seems too extreme for that. If it's just teenagers, why not vandalize all the doors on the floor? It only looks like Naruto's door is the one targeted."

"That is weird," Sakura agreed. She stared at her dripping paint brush before abruptly turning to Hinata. "Hey, didn't your team want to talk to Naruto about rumors?"

"Y-y-yes," she nodded timidly, staring at the floor. "W-we t-tried to t-talk to our p-parents about it. They-they w-wouldn't talk about it…a-at all. They j-just…brushed it off. W-we c-couldn't find any r-reason why…" Her fingers fidgeted frantically for a minute, and then she seemed to find something else to add.

"Sh-Shino-kun s-stopped some drunks who…who wanted to b-burn Naruto-kun's home down. W-we overhead them p-planning it. They w-were g-going on rumors that…that Naruto-kun had h-hurt H-Hokage-sama."

Sasuke heard Sakura suck in a shocked breath.

"Why didn't you mention this earlier?" he demanded.

"Sh-Shino-kun w-wanted to s-see if he could f-find the root c-cause," Hinata mumbled, shrugging. "H-he w-wants to know wh-why people w-would do such extreme things over r-rumors."

The Uchiha turned to glare at the half-painted-over graffiti for a moment, and then went back to painting without another word.

"That's awful," Sakura breathed. "I don't see why people would believe those rumors or do such horrible things because of them. Sure, Naruto's an annoying idiot, but he's a loyal ninja—he'd never hurt Hokage-sama!"

"I-I know," Hinata murmured back. "A-and…I d-don't think N-Naruto-kun is annoying."

Sasuke slightly raised an eyebrow at the Hyuuga girl's comment. _Oh?_

"Well you don't have him on your team constantly pleading you for dates," Sakura sniffed. "It gets really old, really fast."

"I w-w-wouldn't m-mind," Hinata nearly whispered.

_Oh?_ Sasuke's eyebrow went a bit higher as he painted.

"Really?" Sakura's voice was thick with disbelief. "Then you wouldn't mind if I steered him in your direction?"

"…G-g-go ah-head," Hinata replied so softly that Sasuke had to strain his ears to hear.

_Oh really?_

"Thanks! I will then!" Sakura chirped, and then changed the subject on to what sort of fruit drinks the Hyuuga girl liked.

Sasuke smirked, tilting his head a bit so that his hair hid his expression.

_Heh, who would have thought…the dead-last has a fan…_

* * *

Mikoto did her best not to stare.

_Is this really the same woman?_

The Yondaime's secretary was…happy. Her eyes had life in them. She smiled, even laughed a bit.

The Uchiha matriarch had invited her for afternoon tea as she'd done nearly every day of the week since she'd begun her efforts of befriending the woman. Instead of being turned down like she had been all of the previous week, the red-head had accepted. And unlike all of their previous get-togethers, it was Uzumaki Kushina who dominated the conversation.

She gleefully recounted all sorts of stories of insane office incidents. Sometimes Naruto was the culprit, running around and cutting up paperwork to practice his scissors skills or drawing pretty pictures in crayon on whatever documents he could get his little hands on. Other times she recounted the mischief that bored desk ninjas got into, and how she'd catch them and verbally tear into them.

_What happened on Monday,_ Mikoto wondered, _to cause such a change?_

The red-head paused after concluding another rowdy tale of office misadventure, and then abruptly shifted topics. "You're probably wondering why I'm in such a good mood all of a sudden, right?"

"Well…" Mikoto anxiously fingered the handle of her cup. "Yes, I was wondering."

"Oh, I took the day off yesterday. One whole day of me-time," she sighed. "It was great; totally cleared out my head! I feel so much better."

"That's good to hear," Mikoto smiled. "What did you do?"

"For the most part, absolutely nothing." She smiled dreamily. "It was fantastic."

Mikoto nodded at that. Assisting the Hokage was a demanding job and raising a child alone was just as bad (not to mention that her particular child was…_special_). Doing nothing would be the ideal vacation.

"If I may ask," Mikoto began hesitantly. "How is Yondaime-sama doing?"

"Much better," Uzumaki-san replied. "His memory's a bit scrambled, but I should be able to help him sort it all out in a week or so. And a few days or so after that, I'd say he should be ready to get back to being Hokage."

"That's very good news. I've heard so little about his condition that I wondered if he would ever recover."

"I wondered that too." The Uzumaki woman briefly frowned into her teacup before brightening again. "But he's okay. The village doesn't have to worry about a Godaime Hokage just yet."

"That's a relief—"

The sound of a chime made them pause.

Uzumaki-san raised an eyebrow. "Was that your doorbell?"

"I think it was," Mikoto frowned. "Excuse me for a moment."

Briefly abandoning her cozy tea room, Mikoto headed for the front. She guessed that it was one of her neighbors—one of the few remaining Uchiha—coming to see her about some issue or complaint. Instead, she found the blonde-haired Yondaime dressed down in civilian clothes waiting on her doorstep.

"H-Hokage-sama!" Mikoto gasped, hurriedly bowing. "What a surprise!"

"Good afternoon, Mikoto-san," he smiled politely. "I don't mean to intrude, but I had heard that Kushina was here."

"Yes, Uzumaki-san is here," Mikoto nodded. _He came for her in person? Why not just send an ANBU or some lesser ninja to fetch her?_ "Do you need her?"

"Well, if she's busy with you—"

"Stalker!" Uzumaki-san muttered, popping up from behind Mikoto's shoulder. "I remember telling you that I'd show up this evening to talk to you."

"I know," the Hokage grinned sheepishly and rubbed at the back of his head. "But…"

"…You got bored," the red-head sighed.

"Yeah."

Uzumaki-san shook her head at him.

The Yondaime glanced around, frowning slightly. "It seems pretty quiet today. Where is every—"

His secretary darted around Mikoto and clapped her hands over the Hokage's mouth. "Shush!"

Mikoto blinked.

The Hokage raised an inquiring eyebrow.

"You were about to stick your foot in your mouth," Uzumaki-san informed him. "I kept you from choking on it."

He carefully pulled her hands away from his mouth. "Oh?"

"I'll explain tonight, okay?"

"Alright," he agreed.

"Now off with you!" She lightly smacked his shoulder and shoved him off. "Go read a book or something!"

"Okay, okay," he chuckled and walked off.

"I'm sorry about that," Uzumaki-san sighed as the Yondaime rounded the corner and disappeared from view. "I haven't gotten him up to speed on…what happened here."

Mikoto shivered and swallowed. "I see."

The red-haired woman glanced up at the sun. "Well, my break is almost over, I should get going. Thanks for the tea and have a nice day!"

The Uchiha woman bowed slightly to her and mumbled some farewell in reply and then she was gone and Mikoto was alone.

_That was…odd._

Shaking her head, she went back into her house and went to clean up her teacups.

_That was very, very odd…_

* * *

Danzou puffed on a cigarette in his underground office and stared off into the shadows. The situation had shifted yet again. The Yondaime lived and his chance of acquiring the Kyuubi through its mother was all but gone.

_Namikaze lives, and now Uzumaki is rebuilding her hold over him._

Unfortunately, he only had so many agents. He hadn't been able to get a ROOT member close enough to the Hokage to pin down his exact mental condition. But he could still gather second-hand information…and he'd heard a great deal about the Yondaime's little sleepover at the Uzumaki apartment from Sunday night that bled well into Monday.

_If she hadn't been using her feminine wiles on him before, she certainly is now._ His lips twitched downwards. _Clever woman. The faster she sinks her claws back into him, the sooner she can pull the Kyuubi out of trouble and protect her position._

Now what should he do about that?

_The Yondaime is weak, confused, and currently not in power… Her next two strongest defenders—Hatake and Jiraiya—are both out of the village on business… And the Kyuubi is away as well…_

She was physically undefended. And if she were removed, the Hokage would no longer have any protection from outside influence. That left Danzou a very narrow window of opportunity.

_If I eliminate her I could possibly get my hands on Namikaze's strings…and if I tug on them right, I will be the sole puppet-master…the true "fire shadow"…_


	22. Broken Illusion

**Chapter 21:** _  
Broken Illusion_

Wiping fog off the bathroom mirror, Minato peered at his reflection for a moment before nodding in satisfaction.

_Not bad._

There were a few scars left behind by the seal, but they were so faint that he really had to look to find them. If he hadn't known they were because of a seal, he would've thought them to be the souvenir of some kind of explosion. With the way his bangs fell over his forehead and with his habit of wearing his hitae-ate on his brow it was doubtful that anyone other than Kushina and possibly Naruto and Jiraiya would ever see them.

Feeling clean and refreshed from his shower, Minato went about getting dressed.

As Kushina had promised the day before in the Uchiha District, she had come over in the evening to explain why the place had been so empty and why she had shut him up. He understood why now, and was quite glad that she'd cut off his question. And after learning about the Uchiha Clan Massacre (both the official and unofficial versions), she went on to educate him on several other things.

He learned about the fine details of his rise to power in the post-Kyuubi village, most especially about the secret law that Jiraiya had helped him draft to protect Naruto. He learned about the unpleasant mess surrounding the Hyuuga clan after peace had been reached with Kumogakure no Sato and Hizashi's sacrifice. And he had learned all about Orochimaru's crimes, all the way up to Suna's claim that the snake had killed the Kazekage and the whole desert village had been misled into attacking Konoha.

By the time that they had stopped for the night, it was very, very late. It hadn't been hard at all to convince her to spend the night with him at the Hokage Manor. She was rather cranky when morning rolled around (none of her bathroom stuff or clothes was in the building so she had to go all the way back to her apartment to clean up) but it had otherwise been a successful sleepover.

_Now to get her to move in… She probably won't want to until Naruto returns. It wouldn't be good for Naruto to come home to an empty apartment. And when Naruto gets back in the village…_

There was no real plan on how to explain things to Naruto yet. The boy had to be informed about the other half of his lineage, which would surely give him a lot of questions that would need to be answered. And at some point, Minato would have to persuade him to let him marry Kushina.

He really wanted to do things right. With Kushina's family being dead, there had initially been no one he could ask permission from. But now—because he'd accidentally gotten her pregnant and waited so long—he had Naruto to deal with. If he could get the boy's blessing first, and not just ask her and then try to get his son on board afterwards, things should work out smoothly…

Minato sighed and headed downstairs to put together a quick breakfast.

During his little evening cram session on major village events, he determined who his major political enemies were. There were a few civilian authorities that had issues with him, but they were of no immediate concern. What bothered him were people who didn't like him and had a shinobi background.

Danzou was the big fish, as far as he could tell. Kushina had delighted in venting to him about the ex-ANBU leader. She complained all about how slimy and back-stabby the crippled man was and all the ways that he tried to influence things. While the man was handicapped by old injuries, he'd cultivated some powerful allies including Elders Koharu and Homura, and he also had an unknown number of contacts in ANBU.

Once he'd finished eating his oatmeal and toast breakfast, he headed to the Manor's sitting room—a fancy room meant to receive important guests—and waited.

He'd dressed in his full ninja gear, with weapons and everything. He'd thought about wearing his Hokage jacket too, but decided against it (although he had taken a moment to admire it, because it was so cool). Minato wanted emphasize his identity as the dangerous Yellow Flash, not the barely effectual, timid Hokage.

When the clock struck 9:47, a bandaged, one-eyed man slowly entered the room with the aid of a cane.

"You are seventeen minutes late," Minato informed the man.

"My apologies," Danzou growled, not sounding particularly apologetic.

Minato eyed the man coolly before turning his focus to his weapons. He studied each kunai and each shuriken for nicks, cracks, rust, and other imperfections, polished each piece, and then put them back in their place. He treated his opponent as if he was no more significant than an ant.

"I've heard a lot about you," he remarked as he worked. "And none of it is good."

"If you've only been listening to that woman, I'm not surprised," Danzou grunted. "She is very biased against me."

"And with good reason," Minato replied. "You have repeatedly slandered her, attempted to separate her from her son, and otherwise tried to remove her from her job. If I were her, I wouldn't like you either."

"So she says," Danzou responded.

"You're saying that she's lying?" Minato raised an eyebrow as he carefully polished one of his specialized tri-bladed kunai. "You're saying that if I were to go to the Tower right now and ask around, that everyone would deny that you'd ever once implied that she manipulates me through sexual favors or is incapable of properly raising her son who just happens to be the Jinchuuriki—is that right?"

"I have said such things," Danzou grumbled. "I make no apologies for expressing my own legitimate concerns."

"You may feel that your concerns are well-founded, but I do not."

"She is a foreigner—"

"I can understand why Uzumaki Kushina worries you," Minato smoothly cut the man off. "True, she is a foreigner—a native of a _dead country_. Konoha is her home now, and I have no doubts as to her loyalty."

"Perhaps you're still a bit disoriented from your hospitalization—"

Minato finally looked up from his weapons. "I expect to return to my office by next week," he informed the old man crisply. "Understand this: I greatly appreciate the work that Kushina has done for me, I highly value her opinions, and I trust her. You I do not trust, and should anything happen to Kushina or her son I will look at you first and I will look at you hardest. Watch your step."

Danzou's stony expression didn't so much as flicker as he gave a slight nod of understanding.

The Hokage eyed him icily for a minute longer before dismissing him. "Leave. And next time I call for you, be on time."

The crippled man stiffly bowed and hobbled away.

Minato grimaced when he heard the door open and then close, signaling Danzou's exit.

_I can totally understand why Kushina likes to chant "roll over and die" in her head when she deals with him…_

Hopefully he'd sent a strong enough message to the ex-ANBU. Danzou had built many connections that would make removing him difficult. But if this warning wasn't enough to keep the man's ambitions in check, Minato would find a way to kick him to the curb.

_Too bad he's still so tough…it would be nice if he just rolled over and died._

Sighing, Minato headed out back of the Manor and worked on getting back into shape.

* * *

Danzou walked slowly and calmly from the Hokage's official residence. He did not shiver or tremble or look anywhere but straight ahead. His face was as still as stone.

He was a ninja and he did not show weakness of any kind…so he buried his uneasiness deep down inside for detailed analysis later.

_I need to get one of my men close enough to the Hokage to observe him,_ he decided. _That was not the man who has been trying to run the village for the last fourteen years._

Everything about that encounter, from the very fact that he had been commanded to appear at the Hokage's residence to the moment that he had been dismissed, jarred out of line from what he had come to expect from the Yondaime.

The mentally-impaired man that he was accustomed to dealing with would have politely invited him over for coffee or tea. He would dress in his Hokage jacket and look uncomfortable as he tried to discuss whatever subject troubled him, and when Danzou took shots at his assistant he would quietly try to protest. The blonde man could and would be sterner with foreigners, especially foreign ninja, but with his own villagers he was weak and soft, operating on the idea that if he was nice to his people, they would work better for him.

There was never any fear that Namikaze Minato would personally, physically hurt anyone.

The man that he had just met had not invited him, but _demanded_ that he appear. He had not dressed as the Hokage, but as a basic jounin ninja, and he had also deliberately and rudely focused on tending to his weapons, barely giving Danzou any eye contact at all. Everything he had said and how he said it, and everything that he had done and how he had done it, had been designed to impart strong, clear messages.

_This man is intelligent. This man is focused. This man is dangerous._

This Namikaze Minato _would_ personally, physically hurt someone if provoked.

_…I should've found a way to eliminate him while he was in the hospital._

Danzou had entertained the idea of killing the Hokage while he was drugged in the hospital. After some consideration he'd discarded the possibility as too risky. The Hokage was a dangerous target to attack. Even if he worked to make it look like an accident, it would be very thoroughly investigated.

And seeing as the chances of the Hokage awakening and functioning properly were calculated to be low, Danzou had decided to wait and see how things played out.

_It was a mistake to wait,_ he realized now. _Not only is Namikaze awake and functioning, he seems to be functioning far better than he has in over a decade. I would almost hazard to say that the Yellow Flash has returned._

The man frowned and headed for his secret office.

_I need to think…_

* * *

Kushina did not wear make-up.

Being a tomboy at heart, she despised the stuff and thought it was a bothersome waste of time. However, being a kunoichi, there were some situations in some missions that required her to wear the stuff so she had very grudgingly learned about it. She had a small stock of cosmetics tucked away in a little bag, and with her career change from active ninja to mom and secretary she hadn't touched it in years…

_Fade faster, damn it!_ She narrowed her eyes in the mirror and carefully applied some concealer to her neck. _Stupid hickies!_

Her make-up collection was small. She had concealer of course, which was good for a multitude of things like covering up training bruises, hiding dark circles under the eyes, and covering up hickies. She had a few things of lip gloss (lip stick was just too much for her), clear nail polish (there was no way her ninja-girl nails were ever going to look pretty—the best they'd ever be was clean and shiny), and some mascara. She'd also once had an eyeliner pencil, but she'd never really used it and thrown it out after a three-year-old Naruto had used it on her face when she'd been sleeping (_"Now you have whiskers like me Mommy!"_).

"Bah!" she grunted as she studied her work critically. "…I'll just wear my hair down again."

That was the advantage of long hair. If she left it loose, it would handily cover most of her neck and she wouldn't have to resort to a suspiciously high-collared shirt or an even more suspicious scarf to hide the marks. Hopefully no one would ask her why she had suddenly ditched her braid after years and years of sticking faithfully to the hairstyle.

Shrugging, she made sure that her barrette was secure and properly holding her long bangs out of her face before she left the bathroom and went about the last bits of her morning routine. She ate a quick breakfast, brewed a thermos-worth of tea, and checked her (and Naruto's) plants. Finding everything in order, she left for the Tower, locking the door and arming the door seals behind her.

The vandals seemed to have skipped her today, which was just fine with her. Hopefully it was a sign that the village was finally cooling down. It probably helped that rumors of the Hokage's miraculous recovery were distracting them, too.

Now Naruto just had to come home. It would be tricky to explain everything to him, and she wasn't particularly looking forward to that. But once he got his little head around things she was sure that he'd be happy.

As she walked, a slight worry briefly disturbed her overall good mood.

_Jiraiya better not have taken him into any bars or whorehouses…_

* * *

Mikoto resisted the urge to stretch as she exited the Council's meeting room. She was the face of the Uchiha clan and she was composed and dignified. She did not stretch and yawn like a bored, careless child.

Hyuuga Hiashi did not linger after the meeting; he went straight back to his clan. The Aburame and Inuzuka leaders didn't dally either, although Mikoto suspected Tsume's desire to leave the room had more to do with getting out of the building and into the fresh air than returning to her clan to govern it. The Elders—Homura, Koharu, and Danzou—went their separate ways to do…whatever it was they did when not sitting on the Council or advising the Hokage.

The Uchiha matriarch was slow in leaving so that she could speak with Uzumaki-san, who was unhurriedly finishing up her notes. But she was not the only one to linger after the meeting. The heads of the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans loitered not far from the meeting room doors, chatting amongst themselves.

"I just don't get it," Yamanaka Inoichi groused.

"Don't get what?" Akimichi Chouza asked around a mouthful of salted nuts.

"The Elders," Inoichi muttered.

"How troublesome," Nara Shikaku grunted wearily.

"…What about them?" Chouza wondered.

"They obsess over the stupidest things," Inoichi complained. "Like…like Yondaime-sama's assistant! How long have they been implying that she's his mistress? God, they say it like it's a _bad_ thing."

Mikoto frowned.

Chouza hesitated in munching on his post-meeting snack. "But…_isn't_ it a bad thing?"

"Heck no!" Inoichi snorted. "He needs a girlfriend, and if she makes him happy, why not?"

"But…" Chouza shifted uncomfortably. "If he loves her, shouldn't he marry her?"

Inoichi didn't seem to have a ready reply for that.

"Weddings are troublesome events," Shikaku sighed. "A 'Kage's wedding would be even more so. After losing his memory, Minato-san became timid…shy. If they are involved with each other, and if she isn't putting pressure on him to marry her, I don't see why they would bother."

"Yeah!" Inoichi nodded enthusiastically. "And you know…you don't need to be married to make babies!"

Mikoto narrowed her eyes at the cluster of three men.

Chouza looked uneasy. "But—"

"You three gossip like a bunch of old women!" Uzumaki-san muttered as she swept out of the room with her notebook tucked under her arm.

With the meeting room doors wide open, their voices had easily carried back into the room where she could hear them.

"How troublesome," Shikaku remarked quietly.

Chouza stuffed more nuts into his mouth.

"Uh…" Inoichi smiled stiffly and subtly leaned away from the frosty-eyed red-head. "Um…"

"Don't you have something to be doing, or someplace to be?" Uzumaki-san asked them coolly.

"Yeah, I just remembered—bye!" and Inoichi turned tail and practically fled.

Chouza quickly followed.

Shikaku shook his head and left at his usual lazy pace.

Uzumaki-san rolled her eyes at them and muttered "men" under her breath.

Mikoto left the corner she'd been waiting in and greeted the red-haired woman. They exchanged a few pleasantries and set up another time for tea. And then they parted and Mikoto headed home.

She pushed the foolish Ino-Shika-Cho conversation from her mind. It was ridiculous. The man never seemed able to deal with his small horde of hopeful girlfriends. She couldn't imagine timid, awkward Yondaime-sama having any kind of lover.

_But…_ She frowned as she recalled the Hokage's impromptu visit to her home. _He seemed…different…somehow. And the way that they interacted…_

Sighing, Mikoto shook her head.

_I shouldn't worry about it; it's none of my business._

_

* * *

_

Shikamaru tried to nap in the shadow of Ino's house. Chouji happily munched on potato chips nearby. And Ino rambled on about something she'd seen Sasuke do the previous day while she tended some of her mother's potted plants.

They'd come to Ino's house after completing their latest D-rank mission—buying and transporting groceries for a bunch of old ladies. Shikamaru's mother could be pushy and nosy so they didn't often go to his place. And the day before they'd hung out at Chouji's and Ino had started to complain that she'd gained a pound or two with all the snacks that Chouji's mother had pressed on them.

_Troublesome girl_, he mentally grumbled. _Can't she obsess over how cool and handsome Sasuke is more quietly? It's hard to get to sleep with her squealing like that._

"It would've been better if Forehead Girl wasn't there, but…" Ino trailed off and peeked around the corner of her house towards the front.

"Would you stop complaining about that?" the three of them heard Shikamaru's father complain.

"No," Ino's dad shot back, "I will not."

"Can't we talk about something else?" Chouji's father sighed.

_Guess the village meeting is over,_ Shikamaru yawned as he (along with Chouji and Ino) eavesdropped on the adults.

"C'mon, don't you guys miss the good old days?" Inoichi whined. "Back when we had the _Kiroi Senkou_ before he got cracked on the head and faded into a wimpy shadow?"

Shikamaru sat up and frowned. _What?_

"He's not as wimpy as he used to be," Chouza pointed out.

"So what?" Inoichi muttered. "He's still not the same. We were only friendly acquaintances, but he used to be fun!"

"Well, amnesia like his can change a person," Shikaku grumbled.

Shikamaru's eyebrows went up. _Amnesia?! Are they still talking about Hokage-sama?_

Ino could no longer contain herself and bounded around the corner of her house to reveal her presence to the fathers. "Amnesia, Mr. Nara?"

"Gah, Ino-chan!" Inoichi yelped. "What are you doing out here?!"

"I'm taking care of the flowers like Mom asked me to," she replied.

Seeing no point in staying out of sight and eavesdropping, and admittedly intrigued by what he'd overheard, Shikamaru got up and went to join Ino. Chouji hurried to follow him. The assembled fathers looked rather uncomfortable to find the two sons in addition to the daughter present as they sat on the Yamanaka's front porch.

"You heard all of that?" Shikaku sighed.

"Yeah," Shikamaru nodded.

The older Nara tugged at his little goatee in thought for a moment. "How troublesome. I suppose we'll have to explain. …But this is a village secret, so don't you go around talking about it. If any outsiders find out about it, the village could fall into grave danger. You kids understand?"

The younger Ino-Shika-Cho trio nodded.

"Alright," Shikaku nodded, "this is how it is…"


	23. Homecoming

**Chapter 22:** _  
Homecoming_

Shizune quietly walked beside Tsunade with Ton-ton in her arms. Ahead of them walked Jiraiya and young Uzumaki Naruto. And very shortly all four of them (five if Ton-ton was counted) would arrive at the massive gates that protected _Konohagakure no Sato_.

For a long time, Shizune had worried that she would never return to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. She had sworn to always follow her master, and Tsunade continually roamed farther and farther from home and drove herself deeper and deeper into debt, never showing any sign of turning back. Going home again seemed like a forlorn hope.

Naruto's bet had seemed more like a fool's gambit than a real chance that she and Tsunade would go back to the village. The boy ran himself so ragged that Shizune found him unconscious in a grove of destroyed trees after a week straight of working on his jutsu. His extreme chakra exhaustion should've kept him down for days, but with the power of the demon trapped inside of him he was up the next morning and back at it.

And somehow, late on the tenth day, Naruto did it.

If she hadn't been so shocked herself, Shizune would've laughed at the look on Tsunade's face when she saw the blonde boy demonstrate his fully-mastered _Rasengan_. She remained frozen in shock as her master very grudgingly fulfilled her end of the bet: apologizing for her words, handing over the necklace, and returning to the village without complaint. Only hours later did it finally catch up with Shizune that it had really happened.

_Home…_ Shizune couldn't but smile a bit. _It's been so long… I wonder what's changed since we left._

Tsunade was clearly not happy with this turn of events. Shizune almost feared that the woman would just run out on this debt like she had with all the rest. But the blonde woman had honored the stakes of the bet that she'd made, and there was no running off now with the village less than a mile away.

Jiraiya had been ecstatic when his apprentice had pulled through and won. He'd gathered the boy up in his arms and spun him around in an excited little jig. The whole way back he'd been grinning and shooting Tsunade smug looks. Now that they were so close, though, he had sobered dramatically.

_He's eager to return, and yet he dreads to,_ Shizune knew. _When we reach the hospital, he will finally learn if there is anything Tsunade-sama can do for his former student. …It is the same for Naruto-kun._

The blonde-haired genin had also been initially over-the-moon with his success. He had taken the Shodai's necklace with the declaration that there was no curse and he would be fine. So far he seemed to be right; nothing at all fatal or harmful had happened to him. But the very day that they set out for Konoha, he grew grim and only got worse with each passing day.

_Poor Naruto-kun,_ Shizune sighed. _He will have to face what he's done. And if Minato-san cannot be saved…_

Her mind shied away from the thoughts of what such an event might do to the boy and she shivered.

Their party rounded a bend and then the village's massive, majestic gates came into view through the dense trees. The two giant doors were wide open and welcoming. It briefly took Shizune's breath away and drove all concern from her mind.

_I'm home Dan-oji-san and I'll be able to bring you flowers soon…_

* * *

Minato casually strolled through the village streets, nodding to passers-by and briefly conversed with those who approached him. He hadn't yet returned to office; that was tomorrow. But he was dressed for his job—he wore the coat and everything.

_I love this coat…_

It was odd. The first time that he'd laid eyes on his flame-trimmed jacket, he'd had the funny sensation that he didn't particularly care for it. Then he had blinked and the feeling had passed and he quite liked his substitution for the traditional Hokage robes.

The odd dissonance had struck him several times before and after that. When he'd first touched his weapons after being discharged from the hospital, he almost wanted to drop them and never look at them again. He felt an odd attachment to pictures in the Hokage residence that he had no memory of. And one time, when Kushina had been pacing around his room and reading the highlights of the overall report on the Sand-Sound incident, he'd felt strangely guilty for having naughty thoughts about her.

_"That sounds like you when your memory was sealed,"_ Kushina had told him when he'd sought her opinion on it. _"You didn't enjoy anything about the world of ninja, especially the tools; you developed a weird affection for paintings of flowers and plants; and…well the whole guilt about sexual fantasies would explain why you seemed so girl-shy and borderline asexual."_

Shaking his thoughts away from the fragments of his confused alter-personality, he kept at the task at hand. He was walking around openly (instead of moving about in civilian dress and disguised with _henge_) to reconnect with the public. He was dispelling all the ridiculous rumors that surrounded his state of health (it ranged from: he was dead, he was a zombie, he thought he was a twelve-year-old girl, etc.) and generally being polite and personable.

After a good hour of drifting about he bought a coffee and took a brief break at the edge of a small park.

A few days ago, out of curiosity, he'd looked up Naruto's Academy records. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't a little disappointed at what he found. Naruto started off bad and clawed his way up towards slightly above average. The three official fails of the Genin Exam on Naruto's record puzzled him, as did his team placement, but his son was a ninja and a decent genin as far as he could tell from his mission record.

_"Naruto's too much like I was as a child,"_ Kushina had explained to him later when he'd asked about what he'd found. _"I had too much energy and too short of an attention to sit still for long lectures. He learns best as I learn best—through doing. And it didn't help his grades any that the teachers graded him harder than any of his classmates, especially in his first few years."_

She was quite disgusted with most of the instructors that Naruto had had. About the only one she liked was a fellow named Umino Iruka who had made a decent effort to treat the boy like all the rest of his students. The teacher she hated the most was Touji Mizuki.

_"Out of all the times he flunked the Genin Exam, the third time was definitely the worst,"_ she had scowled. _"The first time I expected it. He didn't take it seriously at all; thought it would be a breeze and he was all for getting out the Academy early and being a ninja sooner. The second time was disappointing. He thought he knew the best way to prepare for it and stubbornly ignored my advice; said that: 'there's no way they'll test on the _Bunshin no Jutsu_ two exams in a row!' But the third time…the third time he should've passed._

_"I taught him the _Mizubunshin no Jutsu_ which is more advanced than the boring old _Bunshin no Jutsu_. In theory, if he could demonstrate that, he should pass the ninjutsu section with flying colors and gold stars. But the day of the exam, he asked Mizuki if that would be an acceptable substitution __**and Mizuki told him 'no'**__. If he'd asked Iruka, I'm sure he would've been given a 'yes, that's okay'. But he found Mizuki first, believed him, and got too stressed to make even a passable _Bunshin_ and so failed the third time and was ripe for Mizuki to manipulate him into stealing that damn scroll!"_

It didn't matter that Mizuki's actions had given Naruto an opening to prove himself and get promoted to genin outside of the official exam. She hated the man for manipulating Naruto. She hated him for trying to destroy his psyche with the secret of the fox. She hated him for trying to kill her baby. If she could get her hands on Touji Mizuki, she would gladly stab him in the face, gleefully castrate him, and then cheerfully light him on fire…and make sure that he burned very slowly.

Minato was devoutly glad that she was his girlfriend and not his enemy.

There had been one last thing that had puzzled him about Naruto's rise to genin: his team. Generally the worst performing student of the graduated bunch would be paired with two of the best. Naruto wasn't at the bottom of his class, and yet he had been paired with Sasuke, the rookie of the year, and Sakura, the top kunoichi. Kushina's answer had been simple: the actual "dead-last" graduate had backed out at the last minute (he'd finally found the confidence to stand up to his ninja father and follow his real dream—to be a cook) and Naruto had been promoted at the last minute, so the Academy instructors just used him to plug the unexpected hole.

_"And then Kakashi turned out to be the sensei!"_ she'd cackled. _"I laughed so hard when Naruto got his team to pass the bell test."_

Minato smiled into his cup of coffee as he leaned against one of the park's trees. It was a pity that he hadn't observed that test. He would bet anything that it had been a great show.

_I need to remember to ask Kakashi how it went when he gets back…_

It would certainly be more fun than a lot of things he would have to deal with tomorrow when he officially returned to his office. He would have to get his hands into the restoring and reorganizing of the village and his ninja forces. He had to make his official decision on what to do with Suna. He had to decide how to deal with the shattered remains of Oto and how aggressively to investigate what Orochimaru had been up to in his years away. And then there was Itachi.

_Yeah, that's going to be lots of fun…_

Minato leaned against a tree trunk and peered over the bushes at a playground where small children were playing.

_But that's for tomorrow._

* * *

Naruto's fingers clutched the straps of his backpack with a white-knuckle grip and stared glumly down at the street under his sandals as he walked. He was excited, he was terrified, and it all left him feeling sick. The moment of truth was waiting just on the other side of the village.

Jiraiya stopped suddenly and Naruto accidentally collided with his leg.

"Hey kid, why don't you go home, drop off your stuff, and let your mom know that you're home," the white-haired man suggested. "You can catch up with us at the hospital later."

Naruto nodded and muttered: "Okay."

With his dismissal, the blonde boy turned down a different street and headed towards home. He didn't have to look up to find his way home. He knew his way through certain points of the village on instinct. And if he looked up he feared what he would see.

There would be people glaring at him; some pointedly looking away from him or through him, some staring at him and watching his every move. There would be whispers that he could just barely catch and the disgusted expressions that went with them. There would be hated poured on him in every way—maybe even physically this time—and this time…he actually kind of deserved some of it.

_Why did I do that? Just because it worked so well on destroying that mark on Sasuke didn't mean that it would work out the same way on Yondy-sama. Those two seals were completely different!_

It was worse now that he'd studied a few books on seals. Ninja were familiar with seals used to store things and the seals on explosives, and some knew enough to reinforce locks and prison cells, but there were a lot more things that seals could be used for. _A lot_. He hadn't imagined most of it until he'd started on his course of study.

He'd have to study a good dozen other books to know _half_ of the things that seals could do.

_…I should've just waited for pervy Jiraiya to have figured out the right way to remove it._

He didn't run, but he walked quickly and was soon at his front door. Unlocking the door, he disarmed the seals (he couldn't open the door if they were armed, and should he force it, he'd get zapped) and slipped inside. As it was during the day during the work week, his mother wasn't home and so he found the inside dimly-lit and quiet.

Kicking his sandals off, Naruto shut the door behind him and headed for his room. His plants were alive and in good health, which was good. He'd kind of forgotten about them. Peeling off his clothes that were dusty from the road, he dressed in fresh clothes from his drawers. Leaving his pack on his bed he left his room behind.

Glancing around the apartment, the only thing he noticed that was particularly out of place was an unfamiliar drink mug on the kitchen table. It was dark blue with the kanji for "wave" painted in white on it. When he examined it, the inside had coffee residue…which was odd, because his mother hated coffee and only drank tea.

_…Did mom have a guest over?_

That was the only explanation for the coffee. It was odd though. Aside from Kakashi, no one really ever came over. And he never remembered seeing his sensei drink coffee when he came over—just water or sake, if he had anything at all.

_…Weird._

Shrugging it off, he put the mysterious cup in the sink and headed out.

He had to tell his mom that he was home. She was working in the Hokage Tower. So that's where he had to go.

He didn't have to get there fast though, so he took the scenic route.

Sticking to deserted side-streets and alleyways Naruto did his best to avoid the villagers. He had no desire to feel their anger and hate. He'd probably run into more than he could stand in the Tower, where it would be much harder to avoid.

The Hokage Tower was the seat of the Hokage's power. It was where he conducted his business and met with his ninja. And all the ninja who worked there would despise him just as much (if not more) than the everyday villager.

Rounding a corner, he came to a small park where he'd used to play a lot as a little boy. His mother would take him there whenever she was free, which was usually at some odd hour when few children were playing there. It made it less noticeable when the other kids' parents would force them to go home for lunch or dinner to keep them away from him—the demon child.

Glancing at the playground surrounded by trees and bushes on three sides, he moved to continue on…and did a double take.

A man stood in the shadows of the trees, watching the little kids play. He had spiky blonde hair and wore a long white coat trimmed with red flames. On the back of his coat were the kanji that spelled "Fourth Fire Shadow" stitched in red thread.

Naruto gaped and trembled at the sight.

_I'm seeing things…_

The Hokage couldn't be here.

_This can't be real…_

He was dying in the hospital.

_This is a genjutsu…_

The Yondaime couldn't be loitering outside and drinking coffee.

_This is a dream…_

"…Yondy-sama?"

* * *

"…What do you mean 'he's not here'?"

Jiraiya hadn't shouted, he'd spoken in a perfectly calm, perfectly flat tone, yet the doctor they were speaking with flinched. "Y-yes J-Jiraiya-sama. H-Hokage-sama has-has been d-discharged."

Tsunade raised a curious eyebrow. "And why was he discharged?"

The doctor seemed far less intimidated by her and gladly answered. "Well, a nurse misread his charts and made a mistake with his sedatives, allowing him to regain consciousness early. When he awoke, he suffered no further seizures and was mostly lucid with only mild confusion and disorientation. We could find no solid reason to keep him more than a week and he was quite eager to leave. So far, he has suffered no medical issues and is well on his way to recovering the strength that he lost in being confined to his bed and sedated for so long."

"That's very good news, isn't it Tsunade-sama?" Shizune smiled cheerfully.

"It is," Tsunade had to agree. "It seems rather pointless to have summoned me back at all."

"Well…" The doctor fidgeted with his clipboard for a moment. "It would ease many minds if you could examine Hokage-sama and confirm his restored health."

"And there are other cases in the hospital, like this patient I am treating," another doctor suggested. "Perhaps we could get your advice on possible treatments."

"…Maybe," Tsunade grunted non-committally and turned to the second doctor. "Who is your patient?"

"A young genin—Rock Lee," he answered. "He was terribly injured during the Chuunin Exams."

Tsunade sighed and turned to leave. "I'll consider it. Jiraiya, let's go find your old student so I can take his temperature."

Jiraiya obediently followed, looking a bit dazed. "He woke up?"

* * *

With his coffee almost gone, Minato sighed and turned away from the view of playing children to continue his little informal village tour…but as he turned he spotted someone watching him.

A young genin with his hitae-ate hanging around his neck stood across the street on a corner, staring at him wide-eyed. The blonde boy was dressed in black pants and a black jacket with dark orange sleeves rolled halfway up to his elbows. He was very pale-looking, which made the odd whisker-like markings on his cheeks—

_Naruto?!_

His son didn't look happy like he had in the pictures. He looked frightened; like he was looking upon a ghost. It made Minato think…

_"Hey, hey Yondy-sama! Guess what, guess what! Somebody broke my window last night!"_

_"…Do I __**have**__ to go to the Academy to be a ninja, Yondy-sama? All the teachers hate me!"_

_"Y-Yondy-sama…Mizuki-sensei, he…he said that I'm the demon fox!"_

Minato blinked and the scraps of a less-than-happy Naruto faded to be replaced by the current less-than-happy Naruto standing across the street from him.

His first instinct—besides standing frozen and staring at the boy—was to dart across the street that separated them and hug his son. But he managed to forestall that reaction. Naruto's terrified expression meant that he probably wouldn't react well to an unexpected hug.

_But…why is he afraid?_

Hesitating for a moment, Minato swallowed and slowly crossed the street. Naruto didn't move beyond following Minato's approach with his eyes, which found ways to grow wider as he drew nearer. It was only when Minato was a few feet away that Naruto unfroze enough to stagger backwards a step, which halted Minato's advance. He didn't want the boy to run away from him.

"Naruto?"

His son jumped at the sound of his voice and stumbled backwards a few more steps.

"Y-you're n-not supposed to be here!" Naruto squeaked, jabbing a wavering finger at him. "You-you're supposed to be in the-in the hospital!"

_Oh,_ he blinked,_ so that's the problem._ "Well, I was in the hospital," he replied, pausing to sip at his coffee. "But, as you can see, I'm out now."

Naruto blinked and shook his head rapidly as if to clear it. "But…but…Ero-Sennin said…"

Minato tilted his head curiously. "'Ero-Sennin'?"

"Ah…uh…I meant Jiraiya," Naruto muttered, squirming a bit.

"Jiraiya-sensei?" Minato's mouth twitched towards a grin and he hid it by taking a long sip of his nearly-depleted coffee. "That's a good one."

Naruto blinked slowly. "…It is?"

"Yes," Minato nodded. "He was my sensei and I've known him for years. I'm perfectly well aware of his…interests."

Naruto just stared up at him, speechless.

Feeling awkward in the silence, Minato tapped at the paper cup that held his coffee. "From your reaction, I'd almost think that you weren't happy to see me."

The boy flinched, edged a few steps closer, and loudly whispered: "Are you sure you're not a genjutsu or something?"

Minato raised an eyebrow. "Well, do you know how to dispel genjutsu?"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded and his hand strayed towards his kunai pouch. "Genjutsu can be disrupted through physical pain…"

"There's no need to cut yourself," Minato remarked. "What's the other way?"

"Chakra disruption," Naruto answered, frowning. "I'm bad at doing it myself. It's better when someone else does it for me."

"Bad at it?"

Naruto shifted in embarrassment. "I use too much chakra, so it's really kinda noticeable when I do it. Ninja are supposed to be sneaky when they break genjutsu so that their attacker doesn't know that they're not in control anymore."

"Well, there's no need to be sneaky here, is there?" Minato grinned.

His son thought this over for a minute, and then slowly brought his hands together. For a moment, nothing happened. And then the wind kicked up around him as he altered the flow of his chakra, pushing it out of all parts of his body. When Minato failed to fade away, Naruto stopped.

"See?" the Hokage smiled. "I'm no illusion. I'm really here."

Naruto stared at him for a moment longer, and in the space it took Minato to blink, the boy had closed the gap between them and practically tackled him. Minato had to take a step back to avoid falling over from the impact and ended up dropping his coffee. He stood frozen for a moment while Naruto clung to his coat, buried his face into Minato's chest, and cried. And then he gathered his wits and hugged the boy.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" his son sniffled.

"I know," Minato sighed, patting Naruto's back. "I know you meant well. It's alright."

"Yondy-sama…" Naruto whimpered.

Minato smiled down at the top of the boy's head and gently ruffled his hair.

_My son…_


	24. UnBroken

**Chapter 23:** _  
Un-Broken_

Naruto had no idea how long he stood there, clinging to the Hokage and crying. It felt like a couple hours, but it was probably only a few minutes. When the tears finally dried up and the sniffles died down, the Yondaime gently pried him free to study his face.

"You okay now?"

"Yeah," Naruto croaked and rubbed at his damp face; relief slowly giving way to embarrassment. _I'm going to be thirteen soon…and I'm crying like I'm __**three**__._

"Good," the Hokage smiled. He eyed Naruto's hitae-ate curiously. "Don't you usually wear that on your forehead?"

"Yeah, uh…" Naruto's eyes dropped to his sandals. "It's just that…I messed up so bad…"

Naruto jumped a bit when he felt the cloth of the hitae-ate pulled from around his neck and looked up to find it resting in the Yondaime's hands.

"You felt that you messed up so bad that you weren't really worthy to wear the symbol of our village's ninja?" the Hokage suggested.

He nodded mutely.

"Well," the Yondaime sighed, "you did 'mess up'… However, you've learned from your mistake and done what you could to fix things, right?"

Naruto slowly nodded again.

"So…" The genin stood perfectly still as the Hokage tied the hitae-ate to his forehead. "…I think you've redeemed yourself enough to wear this properly."

"Thank you," Naruto mumbled as he fingered the blue cloth and metal plate. Then his blue eyes drifted over and spied the fallen paper cup with a small puddle of brown liquid nearby. "Ah, your coffee!"

"That's alright," the Hokage shrugged, scooping up the cup and crushing it. "I was almost done with it anyway."

Naruto awkwardly itched at the back of his head. The Yondaime always seemed to forgive him so easily. Whether he'd colored on important documents or practiced with scissors on the Hokage's jacket, he'd get a stern but brief talking-to and then it would all be forgiven and forgotten.

It didn't seem right to be forgiven so easily for almost killing someone.

"So, your mission was to assist Jiraiya-sensei in locating Tsunade-sama and persuading her to return to the village, right?" the Yondaime asked.

Naruto bobbed his head. "Yeah, we did that."

"You really got her to come back?" The man sounded very surprised and impressed. "Where is she? And where's Jiraiya-sensei?"

"They went to the hospital to go see you," Naruto answered.

"Well, we'd better catch up to them then," the Yondaime smiled and headed off towards the hospital, tossing the crushed cup in a nearby garbage can as he went.

Naruto obediently trotted after the older ninja.

They walked in silence for a few blocks until the boy worked up the nerve to voice a question. "Yondy-sama…did it hurt?"

"Did what hurt?"

"When I…busted the seal on you," Naruto muttered uncomfortably.

The Hokage shrugged. "I don't know; I don't remember."

"Oh." Naruto jammed his hands into his pockets. "It looked like it hurt."

"Well I'm fine now," the Hokage smiled reassuringly. "And tomorrow I get back to work."

"You're not working now?"

"No, not really," the Yondaime chuckled.

"Oh."

"How was your mission with Jiraiya-sensei?" the older blonde asked curiously. "Did anything interesting happen?"

"Not really," Naruto answered. "I mostly just studied and trained while Ero-Sennin looked around for Tsunade-baa-chan."

"'Baa-chan'?" The Yondaime glanced at him worriedly. "You don't call her when she can hear you, do you?"

"Sure," Naruto snorted. "Why shouldn't I? She's just a grumpy old lady."

"A grumpy old lady who can kill a man with the flick of her fingers if she wants to," the Hokage pointed out. "She's not a woman you want to irritate or insult."

Naruto shrugged.

The Yondaime sighed. "Naruto…"

"Naruto!"

The genin stopped short and turned to see Sakura jogging across the street to join him with Sasuke following her more casually.

"Sakura-chan!" he waved enthusiastically. "Sasuke-teme!"

The pink-haired girl caught up to him…and smacked him over the head. "Where were you?!" she demanded. "You disappeared for more than a month and nobody knew where you were or would tell us anything! We worried about you!"

Naruto blinked as he rubbed at his head. "You missed me, Sakura-chan?"

"Yes," she frowned. "It takes longer to complete D-rank missions with only two people."

Naruto sagged in disappointment. _Sakura-chan…_

"What was your mission?" Sasuke asked. "Your mom wouldn't tell us."

"I had to help find a medical ninja named Tsunade," Naruto sighed.

"Senju Tsunade?" Sakura blinked. "One of the _Densetsu no Sannin_?"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded.

"How did you get such a mission?" Sasuke frowned.

Naruto hesitated. _What do I say? That I almost killed Yondy-sama and Ero-Sennin had to take me away for a while? That I got this mission to hopefully fix my mistake?_

"Jiraiya requested him," the Yondaime informed them.

"Hokage-sama!" Sakura squeaked in surprise.

"Hokage-sama," Sasuke bowed slightly, not surprised at all to see the village leader. "Why would Jiraiya of the Sannin request Naruto?"

"I don't know the exact reason as I was hospitalized at the time," the Hokage replied, "but I know that Naruto trained with Jiraiya before. Perhaps he wanted to get to know Naruto better and see if he would make a good apprentice."

Sakura blinked. "Naruto? Apprenticed to one of the Sannin?"

Naruto grinned, pleased at how impressed she sounded. But he worried, too. Would she still be so impressed when she found out that Ero-Sennin was…well…Ero-Sennin?

"How did you get to train with Jiraiya?" Sasuke asked.

"It was better than training with Ebisu," Naruto grunted. "Kakashi-sensei disappeared with you so I needed to train with somebody."

"And he just agreed to train you?" the Uchiha inquired skeptically.

"I'm just that awesome," Naruto grinned smugly. There was no way he was admitting that he'd gotten trained by using his "Sexy Jutsu"—Sakura-chan was right there and would get mad at him for it. And then she would tell his mom, and then he'd _really_ be in trouble.

"Hn," Sasuke snorted. "Whatever, dead-last."

"I'm not the dead-last!" Naruto fumed.

"You're supposed to be," the Uchiha shrugged.

"No I'm not!" Naruto growled.

"Right…you're the Hokage's Pet."

"Sasuke!" Naruto hissed and prepared to lunge and bring things to physical blows.

"Naruto, Sasuke-kun, stop it!" Sakura snapped. "You're embarrassing us in front of Hokage-sama!"

Naruto pouted and glanced up at the Hokage. The Yondaime was staring off into space, his blue eyes unfocused. It kind of reminded Naruto of how the man had looked in the hospital before he'd had the not-so-bright idea to destroy the seal himself.

"Yondy-sama?" Naruto tugged on the Hokage's sleeve and tried not sound as worried as he felt. "Yondy-sama?"

* * *

Minato had been mildly irritated when his son's teammates had appeared and stolen away Naruto's attention. But the feeling quickly passed and he grew amused as he watched the genin interact. It reminded him a little of his own genin days, and much more strongly of his own students.

Sasuke was like Kakashi, an arrogant loner pursued by familial ghosts. Sakura was like Rin, a buffer between two rivals who cared for them both, but was particularly interested in one over the other. And Naruto was like Obito, loud and fun-loving and yearning to prove himself.

Of his three students, only Kakashi remained. Obito had given up his eye and fallen years ago. Rin hadn't gone long after him. It was horribly tragic; they'd died so young. And he missed them.

_What would they be like now, if they'd lived?_ he wondered as the two boy started badgering each other. _What would Kakashi be like if they had lived? What—_

"Yondy-sama?" A tug on his sleeve. "Yondy-sama?"

Minato blinked and looked down to see Naruto peering up at him anxiously.

"Yes?"

"You were spacing out," Naruto frowned.

"Sorry, I was just thinking…"

His son tilted his head curiously. "About what?"

"He's probably thinking about important business, Naruto," Sakura chided. "Stop pestering him."

"It's alright, Sakura-san; Naruto isn't pestering me," Minato corrected gently. "I was just thinking of my old students," he informed the three young genin.

Naruto blinked. "You had students?"

"Yes," Minato nodded. "Before I was Hokage, I was a jounin and I took students."

"Who were they?" Naruto asked excitedly. "What were they like?"

_I suppose I never mentioned them before…_ "Well, my students were Obito, Rin, and Kakashi—"

Sasuke frowned. "Kakashi?"

Minato grinned. "Yes, your sensei was a student of mine." He leaned in. "Would you like to know a secret?"

"Yes, yes!" Naruto nodded eagerly, while his two teammates edged in closer.

"When Kakashi was a genin and when he was a chuunin he was very concerned with following the rules, he never made ridiculous excuses, and…he was always on time."

"No way!" Naruto gasped.

"Kakashi-sensei…on time?" Sakura blinked in disbelief.

"It's true," Minato replied gravely. "Ask your mother," he told Naruto. "She'll tell you the same."

"What about your other two students?" Sasuke asked.

Minato sighed. "They died."

The three genin fell awkwardly silent.

And then a little pink pig with a red vest and a pearl necklace started sniffing around Naruto's feet.

"Hey!" Naruto giggled, backing away from the snuffling pig snout. "Ton-ton that tickles!"

Minato arched a curious eyebrow. _He knows this pig?_

"Ton-ton!" a woman called and soon appeared on the scene. "Ton-ton!" the dark-haired woman cried and scooped up the pig. "There you are!"

"Hi Shizune!" Naruto greeted her cheerfully.

_Shizune?_ Minato took a moment to study the young woman and then closed his eyes as he sorted through his memory. _Shizune…Shizune… I know I've heard that name before…_

"Hello, Naruto-kun," Shizune smiled. "You look like you're in a better mood."

"Naruto, who is this?" Sakura asked.

"I am Shizune, assistant and apprentice to Tsunade-sama," the woman replied. She glanced at the two other genin. "You are Naruto-kun's teammates?"

The two genin nodded and Sakura introduced them both.

_Tsunade's apprentice?_ Minato thought hard, and then it clicked. _Oh yes…Dan's niece. I remember her now. She was much younger the last time I saw her…but then, it has been a long time since she and Tsunade left the village._

"Shizune-san," he bowed politely, "it's nice to see you again."

"H-Hokage-sama!" Shizune squeaked. She'd apparently been so focused on tracking down the pig, and then on Naruto and his friends, that she hadn't noticed him standing there. Flustered, she bowed deeply. "F-forgive me, I did not see you."

"It's alright," he assured her. "I assume that Tsunade-sama is somewhere nearby?"

Shizune nodded. "Yes—"

"I'm sure that he's fine," Tsunade sighed as she rounded the corner only a few yards away.

Jiraiya was right next to her. "But, you didn't…see…"

Minato locked eyes with his former teacher, who had frozen in shock at the sight of him, and was struck with a strange feeling of annoyance.

_Why would I be annoyed to see Jiraiya-sensei?_ he wondered, shoving the sensation aside. While he didn't approve of his old teacher's vices, he loved and respected the man. He'd learned a great deal from the mighty Sannin and was grateful to have had the opportunity to study under him. _Perhaps…this is another leftover bit of my confused self?_

"Hi, Jiraiya-sensei," Minato smiled broadly and waved.

The white-haired man re-gathered himself and bowed respectfully. "Hokage-sama."

Minato was torn between disappointment at his sensei's distance and pride at his sensei's use of his title. When he had been a young genin his sensei had liked to tease him about his ambitions towards being Hokage. Even though Jiraiya had taken him more seriously when he'd grown older, hearing his sensei acknowledge his accomplishment with that title pleased him.

"Tsunade-sama," he nodded to the busty, blonde woman. "It's good to see you again."

The blonde woman looked rather disgruntled, but she also greeted him with respect. "Hokage-sama."

"Naruto," Minato turned to his son, "why don't go you catch up with your teammates? Your mother is running some errands for me, so I'll let her know that you've returned."

"Okay." Naruto turned to his friends. "Let's go to Ichiraku's!"

Sakura frowned. "Naruto—"

"Only if you pay," Sasuke said.

"Deal!" Naruto cheerfully agreed and jogged off to get his noodles. "Come on!"

Uchiha Sasuke wordlessly followed him, with Haruno Sakura trailing after.

Minato sighed. He didn't want to send his son away, but it would be easier to talk to Jiraiya and Tsunade if he wasn't around. Naruto was home now and Minato could track him down and talk with him whenever he wanted.

When the three genin were out of sight, he turned back to Shizune and the two Sannin. "So, shall we go to the Hokage Manor?"

"Of course, Hokage-sama," Jiraiya agreed quietly.

"We're not in an official meeting, Sensei," Minato frowned as he led the way towards his official residence. "You don't have to be so formal."

The white-haired man said nothing in reply, but Minato could feel his old teacher's eyes on him.

As they walked, Shizune filled the silence with small talk. She asked about the village and about rumors she'd heard about it while on the road. Minato answered her inquiries as best he could, but with every question that gave him trouble he could feel the scrutiny of the Sannin intensify.

And then, when they reached the secluded front lawn of the Hokage Manor, Jiraiya made a move. Minato reacted instantly to the strike from behind and ended up throwing his former sensei over his shoulder and several yards away. Jiraiya managed a good landing and turned to study his former student suspiciously.

"Jiraiya-sama?!" Shizune yelped, confused and alarmed by the unprovoked attack.

"Hush," Tsunade commanded her apprentice. "Just wait."

"What was that for?" Minato frowned.

"No apology…" Jiraiya muttered, as if to himself. "Tell me," the Sannin demanded, "what happened in the city of Harajuku when you were a chuunin?"

Minato twitched. "…I thought it was agreed to never mention that event ever again."

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. "Tell me anyway."

"…Fine," Minato sighed, jamming his hands into his pockets. "You got incredibly drunk and wandered into a gay bar and started hitting on transvestites. I had to go in there and get you out…and was hit on several times by equally drunk patrons of that establishment."

Tsunade snickered. "Drag queens, Jiraiya?"

"I was drunk!" Jiraiya hissed in embarrassment.

"One of them had a very impressive adam's apple," Minato added helpfully.

Tsunade howled with laughter while Shizune stood by, torn between shock and amusement at the mental image.

"Okay, okay, that's enough about that!" Jiraiya huffed. He remained gruff for a moment longer before his suspicious expression vanished and he tackled his former student with a crushing bear hug. "Minato! You're all better!"

"Sensei," Minato wheezed. "Can't…breathe…"

Jiraiya's arms loosened, but only a little.

"So…that attack was only a test?" Shizune asked her teacher when the busty blonde's laughter finally died down.

"Exactly," Tsunade chuckled. "Minato was supposed to have suffered amnesia, and yet he recognized all of us, exhibited none of the strange personality quirks his amnesia brought on, and remembers things that he obviously wasn't reminded of…" She snorted. "Jiraiya drunk in a gay bar…damn I wish I'd been there to see that!"

"Oh, I missed you!" Jiraiya wailed as he clung to the Yondaime. "You _hated_ me! It was _awful_!"

"I'm sorry, Sensei." Minato wriggled one arm free and patted the taller man on the shoulder. "I'm alright now."

After a few more minutes, Jiraiya finally released him and calmed down. "This is great… Now, I have a question for you."

"Yes?" Minato prompted as he brushed the wrinkles from his clothes.

"Why didn't you ever tell me that you had a serious girlfriend?" Jiraiya pouted. "We could've gone and celebrated! I could've helped you out! Shared my wisdom!"

"Jiraiya…" Tsunade growled warningly.

"Sensei," Minato sighed, cringing in embarrassment. "That's exactly why I _didn't_ tell you…"

* * *

Morino Ibiki was enjoying a hearty lunch after a lengthy morning torture session when the Yondaime's secretary arrived in his little office. The scarred man rarely interacted with her. If she needed to pick up or drop off paperwork from the Torture and Interrogation Section she usually dispatched some underling to do it, and he rarely ran into her when he ventured into the Hokage Tower.

The red-haired woman dropped off a stack of forms he needed for documenting some of the prisoners currently being interrogated. And then instead of simply leaving with the forms he'd already filled out, she went over them one-by-one to make sure they were filled out properly while still in his office. Taking the hint, Ibiki put his lunch on hold and skimmed over the forms to make sure that he had everything he needed.

Tucked in-between some of the papers, he found a folded note. He read it carefully, taking notice of the instructions and the signature. Once he had it memorized, he pulled a lighter from one of his trench coat pockets and burned the scrap of paper to ash.

The Hokage's secretary seemed to find all the papers in order, nodded politely to him, and left without saying a word.

Ibiki brushed the ashes into a small wastebasket by his desk. He was going to have to head down and find Uchiha Itachi's doctor. The traitor needed to be brought out of sedation in time for his interrogation the following evening.

But first he had to finish his lunch.


	25. Embarrassment

**Chapter 24:** _  
Embarrassment_

"How'd you get so much money?"

Naruto grinned at Sakura. "I won big on a scratch lottery ticket!"

Sasuke had insisted proof that Naruto could pay for their noodles before sitting down to order at Ichiraku's and so the blonde had pulled out his bulging toad wallet.

"You gamble?" the pink-haired girl frowned.

"Not really," Naruto shrugged. "We were just passing through this town that had a festival going on and…"

"You went to a festival on your mission?" Sakura's frown deepened. "Didn't you say that you and Jiraiya-sama were looking for Tsunade-sama to help Hokage-sama?"

"Well, it wasn't like a race or anything," Naruto floundered. "She wasn't running away from us…"

"If they hurried too much, they might have missed her," Sasuke grunted. "Besides, it's not as if Naruto was in charge."

"Yeah," Naruto nodded, "he wanted to stop in that town and shooed me off while he looked around."

Sakura's frown didn't fade, but she turned her attention to deciding what she wanted to order.

Naruto sighed as he placed his own order. He never seemed to say the right things to her or do the right things to impress her. Sakura always found him childish or stupid, and swooned over whatever Sasuke did, no matter how cold and anti-social it was. It just wasn't fair!

"Naruto."

The blonde genin turned to his other side. "What, Sasuke?"

"Does your front door get vandalized a lot?"

"No," Naruto frowned. "Why?"

"We stopped by your place while you were away and it was covered in graffiti," Sasuke answered. "Your mom acted like it happens pretty often."

Naruto frowned down at the countertop. _Poor Mom…the villagers picked on her while I was away…_ "I don't remember anything like that happening a lot…maybe once or twice or so."

"It was some pretty mean stuff," Sasuke remarked. "Why would anyone pick on your family?"

"I dunno," Naruto shrugged helplessly. "My Mom says that people don't like us because she's a foreigner and she had me and never married. She says people don't like use 'cause we're different…"

"Different?" Sakura blinked. Then her green eyes lit up as something came to her. "I meant to ask you about that thing you did in the Forest of Death, but with all the craziness of the exams and the attack and then you disappearing I completely forgot about it."

"What thing?" Naruto asked. "That thing I did to Sasuke's neck?"

"No. That other thing that you said you did on the bridge in _Nami no Kuni_ too—what you did with your eyes and the marks on your face." She tilted her head curiously. "Was it some sort of _kekkei genkai_? Or is it some jutsu, like what the Inuzuka clan's? It sort of reminded me of what Kiba did when you fought him, only it looked like there was more to it."

Naruto paled. He had completely forgotten that Sakura had seen him blatantly channel the demon fox's power in the Forest of Death, and that he had admitted to using it previously against Haku. He'd gotten so caught up in the chaos of the exams, the sneak attack, and his huge mistake that it had totally slipped his mind.

"A _kekkei genkai_?" Sasuke snorted. "You?"

Naruto slumped on his stool and started to sweat. "Uh…"

"Orders up!" Ayame, the ramen chef's daughter, announced. "Shrimp ramen for Sakura-san, beef ramen for Naruto-kun, and miso with extra tomatoes for Sasuke-san!"

Naruto immediately grabbed a set of chopsticks, broke them apart, and muttered the traditional saying before falling on his noodles like a starving animal.

"Naruto, stop being such a pig!" Sakura scolded.

"Sorry," Naruto apologized with several noodles still hanging from his mouth.

"Gross!"

For the moment, Naruto didn't care that he was purposely ruining himself in Sakura's eyes. If it made her forget what she was asking about, it was totally worth it. Unfortunately, Sasuke didn't seem to be so easily distracted.

"Stop goofing around," the Uchiha scowled. "Or are you trying to dodge the question?"

Naruto pouted at him. "But I'm _starving_!" he whined. "I missed my ramen so much! I couldn't find any ramen that was _half_ as good outside of the village!"

"That's because none of those other restaurants have my secret family recipe!" Teuchi, the ramen cook and stand owner, laughed from back by the stoves.

"I believe that!" Naruto grinned. "Your stuff's the best, Teuchi-jiji!"

"Aw, thanks!" the man laughed. "That's why you're one of our best customers!"

Naruto beamed and returned to devouring his soup.

"_Baka_," Sasuke muttered and more politely ate his lunch.

Sakura rolled her eyes and followed Sasuke's example.

Naruto just kept grinning and chowing down on his food. If he could keep it up, and if he was lucky, they would forget what they'd been asking about. It was much better to be the silly clown than the demon fox.

* * *

Kushina sighed as she strode down the street to Ichiraku's. With her morning business concluded, it was time for lunch. She'd already picked up some sushi and some skewers of dango, and now she was after some ramen before bringing it all to the Hokage Manor and sharing it with Minato.

It would be a challenge to carry it all, but it would be worth it.

_Things are looking up! There's a lot of mess ahead, but with Minato back in the saddle and better than ever it's not nearly as bad as it could be. Now to just get some ramen…_

Reaching the stand, she ducked below the half-curtains and carefully put down her armload of stuff on an empty part of the counter. "Teuchi-san, two bowls of miso to go, please!"

"Coming right up, Kushina-san!" the cook grinned.

"Hi Mom!"

Kushina blinked and looked over at the other patrons of the stand to find her son sandwiched between his two teammates and grinning at her like a fool with a few strands of noodles hanging from his mouth.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth," she chided. Then it caught up with her. "Oh, you're back!"

And then she fulfilled her motherly duty in embarrassing the hell out of her son by going over and hugging him and kissing the top of his head in front of his friends.

"_Mom,_" Naruto groaned. "Couldn't you wait to do that?"

"No," she laughed. "So how did it go?"

"Good. Didn't Yondy-sama tell you?"

"I haven't run into him in a few hours. I was just going to meet him for lunch," she replied, waving at her nearly complete collection of take-out food.

"I still don't see how you can get away with calling him that," Sasuke muttered to Naruto.

"It's because I'm awesome!" the blonde boasted.

"It's because you were a cute little kid," Kushina smirked. "And I've got pictures to prove it." She grinned at his teammates. "Come over sometime and I could be persuaded to show them to you."

"_Mom!_" Naruto yelped.

"Alright, alright," she sighed. "So, you and Jiraiya really got Tsunade to come back?"

Naruto nodded.

"How did you do that?" Kushina asked. "It couldn't have been easy. She left the village behind for a reason…well _a lot_ of reasons."

Her son smiled smugly. "I made a bet with her, and she lost."

Kushina threw back her head and laughed.

"You won a bet?" Sakura blinked.

"Uh-huh," Naruto confirmed. "I just wanted her to come back without any trouble but she thought my stakes were boring so she threw in this necklace she had."

Kushina managed to get her snickers under control. "What necklace?"

"This one," he answered and reached down the collar of his jacket to pull out a necklace with a green crystal pendant.

"That's…" Her eyes widened. "_Ooh_! She actually bet _that_?!"

"Yep!"

"…I must know more about this bet." Kushina decided.

"Here's your order, Kushina-san!" Ayame announced, placing a few steaming boxes containing the soup that she'd requested.

"Thanks!" Kushina smiled as she handed over the money. Her smile thinned as she turned to her small pile of food containers. "Now how to carry it all…"

"I'll help!" Naruto offered, bouncing off his stool.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Sasuke grunted.

Naruto frowned in thought for a moment and then fished out his overstuffed wallet and laid down enough _ryo_ notes to pay for his three bowls as well as his teammates' bowls. "Okay, _now_ I'll help!"

"Where'd you get all that money?" Kushina asked curiously as she handed Naruto the ramen and one of the containers of dango.

"Scratch lotto," he answered.

"Huh, sounds like you had some fun while you were away," Kushina remarked. "Not too much fun, I hope. Ninja missions are serious business."

"I know," Naruto agreed soberly. "I didn't have too much fun. I promise."

"Very good," Kushina nodded in satisfaction and gathered up the rest of the take-out. "Now let's go. You can meet up with your teammates after lunch and make sure that your teamwork hasn't gotten rusty."

"Right!" Naruto turned back to his friends. "I'll see you guys in a few hours!"

"We'll be by the Academy," Sasuke told him.

"Okay, bye!"

Kushina headed off towards the Hokage Manor, intent on lunch, while Naruto followed after her. Once they were safely away from his teammates, he sagged in apparent relief. That was very, very odd.

"What's wrong?"

"They were asking awkward questions," Naruto frowned.

"Awkward questions?" Kushina repeated. "About what?"

"Stuff I did in the Forest of Death…"

* * *

"It's too bad I wasn't around when you woke up," Jiraiya sighed. "It sounded like a lot of fun."

"Gee thanks, Sensei," Minato muttered.

He'd brought his guests to the same room where he'd met with Danzou. Only instead of putting on an intimidating show, he'd brewed up some tea and found some cookies in a cabinet to share. While they snacked, he filled them in on the village events that they'd missed.

"And I really wished I was here to watch you kick Danzou down a few pegs!" Jiraiya chuckled.

"I think you laughing in the background would've spoiled the effect that I was going for," Minato replied dryly.

"Hey, I could've contained myself!" Jiraiya pouted in protest.

"You? Contain yourself? I'd like to see that!" Tsunade cracked.

Jiraiya folded his arms over his chest. "I can when I want to!"

Shizune glanced worriedly in-between the two while the pig sat in her lap.

"Whatever," Tsunade scoffed and set down her teacup. Abandoning her seat, she moved to sit beside Minato and examined the spot on his neck where Orochimaru's summoned snake had bitten him to further paralyze him. "So, you say the only memory problems you have are with the ones you formed during the thirteen years you were half-sealed?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Minato confirmed. "Although I have recovered some of them."

"Anything else?" she prompted as she checked the pulse on his wrist.

"Sometimes, I get these odd feelings or thoughts…it's almost like déjà vu, only it isn't—if that makes any sense. Kushina thinks that they might be leftovers of…who I was, for a while."

"Do they interfere with your life?" She asked.

"Not really," he shrugged. "They're more irritating than anything. Do you think they'll go away?"

"Probably," Tsunade muttered. "It's hard to say. The human mind is a strange thing; the Yamanaka clan knows it better than I do, they'd be better at helping with this." She sat back and thought for a minute. "When your mind was blanked, it was forced to create a new self for you to keep functioning. Now that the seal is gone and your primary self has been restored, the secondary self is starting to integrate with the original. It should stop when the process is complete."

"Is there any way to speed it up?" Minato asked.

"Meditation might work," she suggested. "But it's best to just let it happen naturally. Forcing it could have unpleasant side-effects. Not let me see your forehead."

Minato obediently removed his hitae-ate and held still as Tsunade studied the bared skin and scanned it with a chakra-charged hand.

"Very minor scarring…but nothing else," she concluded. "I don't think there's anything left of the seal, and I can't sense any foreign chakra, Kyuubi or otherwise."

"That's a relief," Shizune sighed.

"You said it," Jiraiya agreed, peering over Tsunade's shoulder. "Huh…if you really squint, the scars kinda look like the oldest parts of the seal. But really, it's not that bad."

"So am I all healthy, Tsunade-sama?" Minato asked as he re-tied his hitae-ate.

"Yes, I'd say so," she smiled and returned to her previous seat. Her smile turned devilish. "Now…tell me all about this little misadventure of Jiraiya's in Harajuku."

"Tsunade-hime!" Jiraiya whined.

Minato forced a smile. "I'd rather not…"

"Why not? Did something happen to you too?" Tsunade chuckled.

"Um…" Minato cringed.

"Something did," she concluded. "What, did you get hit on?"

"There were a lot of drunk guys there," he muttered.

Tsunade cackled. "Oh, you poor thing! Did they ask you to play _uke_?"

Minato buried his face in his hands.

"Lay off him, Tsunade," Jiraiya muttered.

"You want to talk about the transvestite you were wooing instead?" the blonde woman smirked.

"What are we talking about now?"

Minato tensed and uneasily peered over his shoulder at the door and found Kushina peering into the room curiously, her arms loaded with the take-out lunch they'd planned earlier.

_Oh crap._

Then Naruto poked his head around his mother and looked up at her in confusion. "Mom, what's a transvestite?"

_Oh crap!_

"A transvestite is a man who likes to wear dresses," Tsunade answered, grinning at Jiraiya. "How drunk were you that night?"

"Very," Jiraiya muttered darkly. "I completely blacked it out…thank kami."

"Ew!" Naruto wrinkled his nose. "You flirted with a guy?!"

"I was drunk!" Jiraiya huffed. "Very, very drunk."

"Ick," Naruto muttered and came over to the low coffee table to set down the ramen and dango that he'd been carrying. "Hey, cookies!"

"One at a time!" Kushina warned Naruto as she put down the bag of sushi and dango boxes. "If I knew there would be extra people over, I'd have picked up more food. Hi Jiraiya, Tsunade-sama, and…" She trailed off when her eyes fell on Shizune and Ton-ton the pig.

"Shizune, my apprentice and assistant," Tsunade supplied. "Shizune," she gestured towards the red-head, "Uzumaki Kushina, Naruto's mother."

"Nice to meet you," Kushina grinned.

"Nice to meet you too," Shizune agreed politely.

"So…" Kushina settled herself beside Minato and looked at him curiously. "What's this about _uke_'s and transvestites?"

Minato sighed deeply. "Can't we talk about this later?"

"No, we talk about it now."

He hesitated a moment longer before giving in.

"Jiraiya-sensei got smashed, wandered into a gay bar, hit on drag queens, and I got hit on a lot by various inebriated patrons."

She stared at him. Her mouth twitched. She snickered. And then she exploded into full-on laughter.

Minato hung his head. _I knew she'd laugh…_

Naruto poked him in the knee. "What are you talking about? What's so funny?"

"Um…" Minato gulped. "It has to do with sex…"

"Oh." Naruto made a face. "Never mind."

Minato swallowed a sigh. _Safe…_

Kushina rubbed at her eyes and gasped for breath. "Oh…you…you poor thing! How old were you when this happened?"

"Not quite sixteen," Minato muttered.

"You poor baby," she snickered and pinched his cheek. "That's the price of being pretty!"

"…Ow," he grumbled and rubbed at his abused bit of skin.

"This is better than a movie," Jiraiya chuckled quietly.

"You said it," Tsunade agreed equally quietly.

Naruto just sat on the floor next to the coffee table with a cookie sticking halfway out of his mouth looking between his mother and the Hokage with a confused expression on his face.

"Okay, I'll get the details out of you later," Kushina sighed. "So Tsunade-sama, I hear you and Naruto made a bet."

The blonde woman immediately looked rather disgruntled. "…Yes."

"Mind telling us about it?" the red-head grinned.

"Eat your lunch and we'll tell you all about it, demonstrations included!" Jiraiya laughed.

"Demonstrations?" Minato repeated curiously.

"Yeah, the little brat has a new trick to show you," his former sensei grinned.

"I'm not a brat!" Naruto huffed.

Minato reached for the sushi, intrigued. _I wonder what this new trick is…_

* * *

Naruto jogged towards the Ninja Academy with a wild grin on his face. He'd gotten to show off his _Rasengan_ behind the Hokage's house and both his mom and the Yondaime were greatly impressed. The Yondaime had also been impressed by Naruto's prize: the Shodai's necklace.

_But…something was weird,_ he frowned a bit in thought.

His mom was friendly with the Hokage and would sometimes joke with him…but he'd never seen her tease him like _that_. The Yondaime had taken it pretty well, like it happened all the time and he was used to it. His mom had called the man _pretty_—it was just bizarre.

Then there had been his jutsu demonstration. The Yondaime had always encouraged him when he complained of trouble in his ninja training and praised him when he boasted of doing well, but the man never particularly cared for demonstrations of his skill or the details of what he was working on. While he always supported Naruto's ninja ambitions, he seemed worried about it at the same time. But when he'd watched Naruto destroy a training post with a _Rasengan_, he'd only been happy and proud, not worried or uneasy at all.

It just felt weird.

_Maybe he was more excited about it because it was his jutsu that I learned?_

The Academy building came into view and he shoved his worries aside. No one else seemed to find anything strange in the way that the Hokage was acting so he was probably imagining things. He should just forget all about it.

Sasuke and Sakura were waiting for him on the hill with the lonely swing where he liked to hang out during lunch when he wanted to think…or when he'd blown the Genin Exam. But they weren't alone; Team 10 was there with them. Ino and Sakura were talking very animatedly about something while Sasuke sat brooding by the tree, Chouji ate potato chips, and Shikamaru napped nearby.

"Hey, what's up guys?" Naruto cried as he skidded onto the scene.

"Hi, Naruto!" Chouji greeted.

Shikamaru lazily waved an arm, proving that he wasn't asleep.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted unhelpfully.

The two girls kept talking about what sounded like a cheesy romance novel and seemed oblivious to his arrival.

Naruto squinted at the two chatting girls before trying to get their attention again. "What book are you talking about?"

"We're not talking about a book, _baka_," Sakura frowned.

"Then what _are_ you talking about?"

"We're talking about Hokage-sama," Ino informed him. She eyed him critically. "If you promise not to spread this around, I'll tell you what our dads said about him."

Naruto blinked in surprise. _Yondy-sama…?_


	26. Birds and Bees and Lock Picks

**Chapter 25:** _  
Birds and Bees and Lock Picks_

Minato leaned against the window frame in his bedroom and stared out at the forest view beyond the glass. The sun had set and most of the colors had drained from the sky. Soon it would be true night.

The next morning he was set to return to his office and his duties as Hokage. He would have to call a meeting of the Council as well as deal with back-logged reports and paperwork. And this time tomorrow he was set to meet with Uchiha Itachi.

_Tomorrow's going to be busy,_ he sighed. _Really busy. …Might as well enjoy my last free night._

With a grin, he notified ANBU where he was headed and vanished in a flash of yellow light.

* * *

Naruto lay on his bed and groaned into his pillow. It was late and he should be sleeping; his team would see if they could draw a mission tomorrow, maybe even a C-rank. But he just couldn't doze off.

_"So do you promise?" Ino prodded._

_"Yeah, I promise, I promise, now tell me!" Naruto demanded._

_"Okay," Ino grinned. "So here's the scoop… Our dads told us that before Hokage-sama became Hokage-sama he suffered some kind of accident on the way back from a mission and he developed amnesia!"_

_"Amnesia?" Naruto frowned in thought. "But…I just saw him and he knew who I was."_

_"Idiot," Sakura sighed. "This happened __**before**__ he was Hokage, so we were either babies or not born yet when he lost his memory."_

_"…Oh," Naruto muttered._

_"It really only matters to our parents," Ino continued. "To us he's always been the same, but to them he's a different person now. My dad doesn't think he's fun anymore…"_

He thought he knew everything really important about the Yondaime. He'd practically grown up in the Hokage Tower and found out some stuff that people twice his age didn't know. But he'd never once suspected anything like this.

_I know that he likes coffee and sushi and melons. I know that when he gets bad headaches he locks himself in his office and I have to leave him alone. I know that while he always tries to be nice to the women who hit on him, he doesn't like them and is kind of scared of them…and he's __**really**__ scared of Anko._

_…But I never thought he forgot anything, certainly never anything important…like most of his life._

After letting him in on the secret, Ino and Sakura went back to what they'd been discussing. They made all sorts of wild speculations on what sorts of secrets the Yondaime had lost along with his memory. What if he'd had a secret girlfriend in some far away land? What if he'd secretly fathered a child? What if that child was a cute boy? Would that boy be better than Sasuke?

It was like they were discussing the possible plot of some cheesy romance story.

"Argh!" Naruto growled and slid off his bed to sit on the floor of his room. "I need to get to sleep…"

Frustrated, he got up and trudged from his room. Maybe if he got a glass of water or a late night snack it would help. It was better than just laying awake and thinking.

Naruto left his room, crossed the living room, stepped into the kitchen…

_…What was that?_

He froze and listened. He heard muffled voices, but he couldn't make out any words or anything. All he could tell was that it was two people, a man and a woman, and it was coming from his mother's room.

The woman's voice had to belong to his mother—it was her room after all. The man's voice he wasn't quite sure of. But…why were they talking in his mom's _bedroom_? Why not talk in the living room or the kitchen?

Intrigued, he crept up to her door and tried to listen in to see if he could figure out who she was talking to. But all he could tell was that the voice was familiar. No matter how he strained his ears, he couldn't make out a word they were saying; it was just a lot of mumbling and the rustling sounds of cloth. Testing the doorknob, he found it locked.

…His mother had _never_ locked the door to her bedroom before.

A little unnerved and horribly curious, Naruto stealthily scampered back to his room for his lock picks. His mom had taught him how to get around locks shortly after he'd enrolled in the Academy. It was an important ninja skill, but he rarely got to use it…because if his mom ever suspected that he was abusing this skill, she'd spank him and ground him.

_But it's okay to use it now because I live here,_ Naruto grinned as he delicately tinkered with his tiny picks. _I'll just take a little peek at who she's talking to. Maybe I can join them!_

There was a soft click and Naruto removed the picks and shoved them into his pajama pocket before carefully opening the door so he could take a quick peek.

It was really dark but he could…see…

He stared.

He shut the door.

He fled.

_Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, __**holy crap!**_

* * *

Minato sighed in contentment as he fingered red strands of Kushina's hair. She'd drifted off a few minutes before and he was tempted to join her. But first he needed to make a quick visit to the bathroom.

Carefully sliding out of the bed so as not to disturb her, Minato slipped his shorts back on, grabbed his T-shirt, and crept from the room. It was on his way back that it caught up with him that the bedroom door had been unlocked. That realization made him pause.

_I'm pretty sure that I locked this door when I arrived…so how is it already unlocked before I stepped out?_

Suddenly feeling edgy, Minato scanned the dark apartment for anything out of place. Slinking towards the other end of the apartment, he found the front door unlocked and left ajar. And worse, Naruto's bedroom door was wide open and Naruto wasn't inside anymore.

His first panicked thought was that someone had come into the apartment and abducted his son. But that wasn't possible. The seals he'd imbedded in the front door prevented intruders from gaining easy access—only he, Kushina, Naruto, and Kakashi could deactivate the seals. And even if someone had found a way inside the apartment, there was at least one team of ANBU hanging around the building providing security for him. The chance that they would miss an abduction occurring in the same apartment where he was staying was vanishingly small.

_So…Naruto left on his own?_ Minato frowned and pulled his T-shirt on. _Why? And where did he go?_

Closing his eyes, Minato stood perfectly still and focused the way that the Toads had taught him. He brushed against the edges of reaching "Sage Mode" but didn't push all the way; he wasn't looking for a fight, he just wanted to locate Naruto. And locate the boy he did…up on the building roof.

_What's he doing up there at this hour? _Minato wondered as he padded out of the apartment and headed for the stairs. _And why did he leave the front door open? He should know better than to do that._

The roof of the apartment building was flat and paved like a courtyard. There were places to hang clotheslines to dry laundry but it didn't look like any of the tenants used them. Aside from a few metal vent tubes sticking out of the roof and the short brick wall the ringed the space to prevent civilians from wandering too close to the edge and falling to their deaths, there really wasn't anything up there.

Naruto was crouched by the brick wall by the edge of the roof and peering out over the darkened village. The boy was dressed in pale blue pajamas with a strange-looking black nightcap jammed over his blonde hair. It was impossible to see Naruto's face from the angle that Minato was at, but the tense set of the boy's shoulders in combination with the apparent rushed exit from the apartment and his mysterious roof visit was worrisome.

Minato started across the roof to Naruto, but froze halfway.

_I'm not supposed to be here,_ he remembered. _I'm the Hokage. I sleep in the Hokage Manor. There's no reason for me to be here…at this time of night…dressed in a T-shirt and boxer shorts._

Before Minato could withdraw and perhaps get Kushina to figure out what was going on, the boy turned just enough to catch sight of him in the moonlight. Naruto flinched and spun around. And then…he scowled.

Minato blinked. _Huh?_

"What do you want?" Naruto growled, eying him warily.

"…You left the front door open," Minato managed to say.

"Oh." Naruto turned back around to stare out over the neighborhood. "You can go back inside. I'll just stay out here."

_Stay out here?_ Minato frowned. _Why would he stay out here? And __**I**__ can go back inside? How would he know that I—_

He stiffened as he thought of the unlocked bedroom door.

_Oh shit!_

"Ah…did you see—"

Naruto flinched. "Yes."

Minato sighed and joined Naruto at the edge of the roof, keeping a three-foot gap between them. "I'm…sorry about…that. I could've sworn that I locked the door…"

"I know how to pick locks," Naruto replied.

Minato looked over at him sharply. "You picked the lock?"

"Mom never locks her door," the boy informed him. "Never, ever."

He groaned and rested his forehead on his arms on top of the wall. _This is like something out of a nightmare…_

Neither of them said anything for a while. Minato kept trying to think of what he should say or do next or what he _could_ say or do, but he only fed a rising headache. Naruto was probably too disgusted by what he'd seen to feel like talking.

"Did…we wake you up?" Minato finally asked.

"No," Naruto muttered. "I was already awake."

"Why?" Minato wondered. "It's late."

"I was thinking…about something Ino told me," Naruto answered.

"And what did Ino tell you?"

Naruto traced a nonsense pattern on the top of the wall. "She said that…before you became Hokage you got bashed in the head and got amnesia."

"And who told her that?" Minato inquired.

"Her dad." Naruto hesitated for a moment before adding something else. "She also says that her dad doesn't think you're any fun anymore."

Minato's mouth twitched. _Note to self: get Inoichi._ "So that's what was keeping you up?"

Naruto nodded. "Is it true?"

"Yes." He paused, weighed the consequences, and then changed his mind. "Well, sort of."

"Sort of?" Naruto frowned at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I lost my memory, but it wasn't because I was hit in the head."

The boy edged closer. "How did it happen, then?"

"You remember the seal that was on my forehead?"

Naruto shivered. "Yeah."

"Well, part of it was already there before the Chuunin Exams—before I even became Hokage," Minato explained. "It was the cause of my amnesia and the terrible headaches that I would sometimes get."

"Really?" Naruto breathed, wide-eyed.

"Really," he nodded.

"But…" Naruto itched at his hair. "If you had part of the seal for so long…couldn't you just have removed it?"

"We tried," Minato sighed and stared up at the starry sky. "But you've started studying more advanced seals. You know how tricky it can be to remove incomplete or malformed seals, right?"

Naruto frowned in concentration. "…Yeah, I read about that."

"Well, add to that the complication of not knowing what the incomplete seal is or is supposed to do and things get ten times trickier."

"But…you're a seal master, right?" Naruto asked, baffled. "Don't you know everything there is to know about seals?"

Minato chuckled. "While I am very knowledgeable about seals and know most of what there is to know about them, I certainly don't know _everything_. New seals are developed all the time, and old seals get modified, and then there are seals like the Hyuuga's 'caged bird' seal that are closely guarded secrets that outsiders are forbidden to learn about or study."

"Oh."

"And in my particular case there was a third complication," Minato continued. "The only way to really study the seal and its structure was to channel chakra into it, but doing that caused me severe pain. In fact _any_ attempt to alter or remove the seal hurt me. One time Jiraiya-sensei tried to cancel out the seal's effects by trapping it within another seal and that nearly killed me. That incident led the Sandaime Hokage to forbid anymore work on the seal."

Naruto had crept closer and closer and now he was sitting right next to Minato. "Who put the seal on you, Yondy-sama?"

"It was Orochimaru's doing," the Hokage replied quietly. "He not only used the Chuunin Exams to assault the village, but to get close to me and finally complete the seal. But he's dead now and the seal is gone so there's nothing to worry about."

"Okay." The boy fidgeted with a loose thread on his sleeve for a minute. "Yondy-sama, now that the seal's gone, does that mean you have your memory back?"

"Yes it does," Minato smiled.

Another silence fell between them, although this one was far less strained than the first. Minato was relieved that Naruto seemed on the way to forgiving him for sleeping with Kushina. He wasn't entirely out of the woods yet, but he hadn't completely screwed up either.

_It could've gone worse,_ he thought to himself. _But, on the bright side, I don't have to find a way to tell him that I'm involved with his mother._

"Yondy-sama?"

He glanced down at Naruto's wide blue eyes. "Yes?"

"Do you love my mom?"

"Yes," Minato smiled, "I do."

"…Are you going to marry her?"

"I'd very much like to," he replied. "Would it bother you if I did?"

"If Mom wants to marry you…I guess not," Naruto muttered with a shrug.

Minato arched an eyebrow. "You guess not?"

"I dunno, it'd just be weird."

"Really?" He frowned slightly. "I don't think it would be so bad…"

Naruto yawned.

"Let's go back inside," Minato chuckled. "Unless you actually want to sleep out here."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," the boy grumbled.

Minato trailed Naruto down from the roof and back into the apartment. While he re-secured the front door, Naruto retreated to his bedroom. He thought about poking his head into the boy's room to wish him a goodnight, but ended up simply crawling back into bed with Kushina. Naruto was too old to be tucked in and there was no sense in bothering the kid when he needed his sleep.

_That was enough for tonight, I think._ He smiled and sighed as Kushina drowsily curled around him. _I'll save the "I am your father" bit for another time…_

* * *

When Naruto dragged himself into the kitchen the next morning his mom and the Hokage were already up. His mom was glaring at the teapot as if to will the water to boil faster. The Yondaime looked on with an amused smile as he sipped at a mug of coffee.

_Wait a minute…_ Naruto squinted at the dark blue coffee mug in the man's hand. _That's the mystery cup from before! …No wonder there was leftover bits of coffee in it._

"You know a watched pot never boils, right?" the Yondaime chuckled.

"That is a matter of opinion!" his mother shot back. Steam burst from the spout with a high-pitched whistle. "Ha!"

"Huh, I stand corrected," he grinned.

"I win!" she cackled and fixed up her drink.

Naruto scrubbed the gritty sleep from his eyes and went to get himself some cereal. Retrieving a bowl, a spoon, the cereal box, and the milk, he sat down at the table to eat. The Hokage nodded to him, but his mother didn't notice his presence until she finished making her tea and turned around.

"Oh!" she squeaked. "Naruto…you're up. Um…Hokage-sama's—"

"It's alright," the Yondaime assured her.

His mom blinked. "It is?"

"He knows how to pick locks," the man sighed.

"He knows how…to…" She hissed in a sharp breath. "Naruto, did you—"

"Yeah," Naruto muttered into his cereal. It had been dark, and they'd been under the sheets, but it was clear what they were doing. He shuddered. "I won't do it again."

_Urgh…never again…_


	27. Back to the Office

**Chapter 26:** _  
Back to the Office_

When Minato set foot in his office, the first thing he noticed was that his desk had vanished under a pile of paperwork. It was an unexpected nightmare made real. For a moment, he toyed with the idea of setting it on fire to get rid of it all. But, regrettably, that wasn't a feasible option.

The only way to get rid of the giant backlog of paperwork was to attend to it, which is exactly what he went about doing.

_Hmm, let's see…what first?_ After a quick perusal of the various stacks of papers he found his first order of business. _The Chuunin Exams? Oh right…those happened. I need to go over the results and determine any promotions…_

Deciding who didn't get promoted was fairly easy. Dosu, the sole representative for Oto, had died before the final round and so would not be promoted. None of the Suna candidates would be promoted either. Kankuro had forfeited, Gaara hadn't completed his match, and although Temari "won" it was clear that she had actually lost and she hadn't had another fight to prove herself further. And with the Kazekage dead, and Suna's treacherous actions, they wouldn't have been promoted anyway if any of them had been deserving of it. As for the Konoha entrants, Shino couldn't be promoted because of Kankuro's forfeit and the interruption of the exams that prevented him from fighting and showcasing his skills, and Neji would not make chuunin because of his defeat.

That left two candidates: Naruto and Shikamaru.

Naruto had done very well in his match. He'd won, and won against an older and more experienced opponent who possessed a _kekkei genkai_. His son had the strength and skill to be a chuunin. But he was still very impulsive, and the observers and proctors had marked him down for his dangerous action after the exams in breaking the seal.

_He's not quite ready,_ he sighed as he marked his own comments on Naruto's papers. _Part of being a chuunin is being a mission leader, and I don't think he's quite mature enough to handle such a responsibility. He has great chances of passing next time, though._

Shikamaru had also done very well in his match. The Nara boy had forfeited, so technically he'd lost. However, he had cleverly outwitted his equally intelligent opponent and would've won if he hadn't run too low on chakra. He hadn't been flustered by his powerful, older foe, and he'd known when to quit and run.

_Here's our newest chuunin,_ the Hokage smirked as he made the appropriate notations on the boy's paperwork. _Only one chuunin out of the entire exam…but at least the test wasn't entirely wasted by Orochimaru's actions._ He checked the current roster to see which ninja were currently in the village and smiled in satisfaction at what he found. _His sensei is in the village, so we can have the little promotion ceremony today. Perfect._

After putting together the necessary orders and summons, Minato sat back in his comfortable swivel chair and eyed his mostly-buried desk with dismay.

_Now I need to clean this up before people start showing up…great._

* * *

Naruto jogged towards the small wooden bridge where his team tended to meet. He'd finished his morning workout, had lunch, and now it was time to join up before heading to the Tower. If all went well, they'd draw an awesome mission and get to work.

He did his absolute best to not think of anything else.

At the bridge, he found Sasuke was already there. The Uchiha was leaning against the railing, staring over the stream at nothing in particular. He looked careless and cool and if any of his fan girls were around, they would be sighing and drooling over him like there was no tomorrow.

"Sasuke!" he cried as he skidded onto the bridge.

"Stop yelling, Idiot," Sasuke grunted.

"_Teme_," Naruto growled.

"Naruto! Sasuke-kun!"

Both boys turned to find Sakura rapidly approaching.

"I'm here!" she smiled. "Are we ready to go?"

"Hn," Sasuke huffed and started walking.

"Hey!" Naruto yelped and hurried to follow.

"Are you three leaving without me?"

The three of them spun around and looked up to find their sensei crouched at the top of a telephone pole and watching them.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura squeaked.

"When did you get back?" Sasuke frowned.

"Yesterday," Kakashi replied and slid down the pole to join them at ground level. "So where are we going?"

"To get a mission," Naruto answered.

"Ah." Kakashi nodded, pulled out his infamous orange book, and walked past them. "We should get going then."

Sakura sighed, Naruto rolled his eyes, and Sasuke didn't seem to have any noticeable reaction as they fell in step with their teacher.

"By the way, welcome back Naruto," Kakashi added cheerfully as he read and walked. "Your mission was a success, I assume?"

"Yeah!" Naruto grinned. "A total success!"

"Good, good," his sensei chuckled. "Naruto…you wouldn't happen to know if Jiraiya-sama is working on a new book, would you?"

"A new book?" Naruto scratched at the back of his hair. _Oh yeah…Ero-Sennin wrote that book that Kakashi-sensei loves so much…_ "No, I don't think he is."

"Oh," the jounin sighed, "too bad."

"Jiraiya-sama writes books?" Sakura asked with great interest.

Naruto squirmed a bit. "…I know he's written one."

Her green eyes lit up. "Wow! What's it called?"

"Uh…" Naruto felt himself starting to sweat.

Sakura had been greatly impressed that one of the mighty Sannin was considering taking him as an apprentice. However, once she found out that Jiraiya was a professed "super pervert" she would be the opposite of "impressed." And a clue to his pervertedness would be the knowledge that he was the author of the smutty _Icha Icha Paradisu_ book that Hatake Kakashi loved so much.

"Well," Sasuke prompted boredly as they came within sight of the Tower, "what's the book called?"

"What book?"

Naruto jerked around to find his mother standing nearby with a bag of chocolates in one hand, and a basket of scrolls that she'd probably picked up from the library.

"Um…Sakura-chan wants to know about Jiraiya's book."

"Ooh," his mother smirked in understanding. "Well, Jiraiya's written _two_ books. You'll want to read his first one: _The Legend of the Gutsy Ninja_. His second book you'll want to skip. I don't think the subject matter would interest you."

_He's got __**another**__ book?_ Naruto wondered in surprise. _Huh…that one actually sounds like it might be okay._

"Thank you, Kushina-san!" Sakura smiled gratefully. "But…was his second book really that bad?"

"I wouldn't say his second book was _bad_—"

Naruto almost choked.

"—it was just as well written as the first, but it's more of a…comedy; it's a far less serious work. It really doesn't have much to do with the world of ninja, and it's geared solely to adults." His mother wrinkled her nose. "It came out around the time that Naruto was getting good at reading, so as soon as I finished with it, I gave it to Kakashi so he wouldn't find it and ask me about it…" She eyed a reading Kakashi and sighed. "…Which, now that I think about it, was a mistake."

Naruto's eyes almost popped out of his head. _Mom gave Kakashi-sensei that book?! She __**read**__ it?!_

Sakura frowned. "Huh?"

"Don't worry about it," his mother advised her. "Just read the _Gutsy Ninja_, you won't regret it. Now," she waves towards the Tower, "weren't we going somewhere?"

"Yeah, let's go!" Naruto cried, rushing on ahead. "I don't want all the good missions to be gone!"

"Naruto, you _baka_!" Sakura yelled after him. "Slow down and wait for us!"

Naruto didn't stop until he was a few yards away from the front doors to the Tower. Hopefully Sakura would forget all about Ero-Sennin's second book. He didn't want what little credit he had in her eyes to get flushed down the drain by one dirty novel.

_That first book…that sounded cool. Maybe Mom has a copy somewhere… I hope it's not in her closet._

His mother's closet was a scary place. She kept their apartment fairly clean, but there were a few places that she never seemed to get to. Under her bed and inside her closet were two of the biggest forgotten places. Her closet was scarier than under the bed because the stuff piled in there could topple and bury him.

The doors to the Tower opened and Naruto turned to see Team 10 walk out. Asuma looked cheerful, almost smug as he puffed on his cigarette. Chouji was grinning widely as he chowed through a bag of potato chips. Ino was practically bouncing with excitement. And Shikamaru looked rather dazed, which was significant because it took a lot to alter the boy's perpetually sleepy look.

And Shikamaru was wearing a drab green flak vest.

"Gah!" Naruto cried and pointed excitedly at Shikamaru's new accessory, unable to find anything else to say.

He was shocked, as this was a very surprising development. And then he was just a little bit jealous. Shikamaru got a promotion, and he hadn't.

_But…I screwed up and almost blew Yondy-sama's head off, so I guess it makes sense that I didn't get a vest too._

Then he burst out laughing.

"Naruto!" Sakura growled as she caught up to him. "What's so fun—huh? Shikamaru got promoted?!"

"Yeah!" Naruto howled. "The laziest kid in our class is the first to make chuunin!"

"Quiet, Naruto!" Ino snapped. "Don't pick on Shikamaru just 'cause you didn't pass, too."

"I'm not!" Naruto pouted. "It's just funny. I'll totally make chuunin next time, you just wait and see!"

"…Maybe," Ino shrugged, and then practically tackled Sasuke. "Oh Sasuke-kun! It's such a shame that you didn't make chuunin, but I _know_ you'll make it next time. If those stupid jerks from Oto and Suna hadn't done anything, you'd have gotten promoted for sure!"

"Get off me," Sasuke growled and tried to twist free of her clinging arms.

"Ino-pig," Sakura hissed.

"What?" Ino snorted at Sakura. "I don't see your name stamped on him."

"Let go," Sasuke commanded.

"Well neither is yours," Sakura shot back. "And you're bothering him, so hands off!"

"Make me!" Ino taunted and clung to the Uchiha boy harder.

"Naruto," his mother said, coming up behind him. "I don't think I've said this often enough, but I'm so glad that you were born a boy."

"_Mom_!" Naruto yelped.

Team 10 as a whole turned their focus to the two Uzumaki.

"Huh? The secretary lady is your mom?" Ino blinked.

"Yeah," Naruto huffed. "Why?"

The blonde girl scrutinized the two of them for a moment. "You really don't look related."

"Why does everyone always say that?" Naruto sighed.

"Maybe because it's true?" Chouji hesitantly offered between potato chips.

"Are you adopted?" Ino asked.

"No!" Naruto sputtered. "No way!"

Sasuke noticed that Ino's grip had slackened and manage to escape her arms, leaving her to whine in disappointment.

"No, Naruto isn't adopted," his mother snorted. "He just happens to take more after his father in the looks department." She ruffled his hair affectionately. "Which means he's going to be a very handsome man when he grows up."

"I'm already handsome!" Naruto protested, squirming away from her hand.

"You'll look even better when you're older," his mom smirked. "You'll have to beat pretty girls off with a stick!"

"Have fun with that," Sasuke grunted. "You're welcome to them all."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered. "Weren't we going out to eat?"

"Yes we were," Asuma chuckled. "Come along now team, before I change my mind about treating you."

"Barbeque!" Chouji cried and charged off in the lead.

"Chouji!" Ino howled after him. "Quit running! Sensei was only joking!"

"Troublesome girl," Shikamaru sighed and trudged after them.

"Cheer up, Shikamaru," Asuma laughed. "This lunch is in your honor. Smile!"

The Nara boy only slumped further.

And then Team 10 retreated from sight.

"Darn," his mother sighed, snapping her fingers. "I was hoping I'd get back in time to watch that Nara kid get his vest. I bet the look on his face was hilarious."

"Yeah, probably," Naruto snickered.

"Well, that was interesting," Kakashi remarked and headed inside the Tower. "I'll go see what missions are available. Garden weeding sounds nice."

"No!" Naruto wailed and raced to get to the Hokage's office ahead of his teacher. "No, we're going to get a cool mission!"

"Naruto," Sakura sighed.

"Idiot," Sasuke muttered.

His mother just laughed.

* * *

Minato smiled to himself.

The Council meeting had almost been fun. When he had come into the meeting room the quiet chatter ceased and all eyes had focused on him with intense interest. Homura had tried to give him a summary (with his own personal spin on it, of course) of all the village business that he'd missed while in the hospital, but Minato had cut him off. Kushina had already updated him on everything that he needed to know, so there was no need to waste time going over it again.

The meeting went fairly smoothly. Aside from a few interventions to keep things from devolving into arguments, he barely had to do anything. And once he was "caught up"—approving or dis-approving the village's decisions made in his absence—he laid out a few things of his own for their consideration, and ended the meeting.

He was almost disappointed that Danzou hadn't tried anything during the meeting. Minato had been looking forward to an opportunity to more publically slap the man down. But the crippled man barely said a word and just sat in his seat and sullenly stared at the table.

Now it was after the meeting, and Minato had one more thing planned before he went to get dinner. He carefully intercepted Yamanaka Inoichi before the man could exit the room and led him aside. Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Chouza waited nearby, while the other clan heads and elders departed.

"Is there something I can do for you, Hokage-sama?" Inoichi asked.

"Yes," Minato nodded. "I wanted to talk to you about something that I heard last night."

"Oh?"

Minato pulled a small can out of one of his pockets and offered it to the Yamanaka. "Snack?"

"Thank you," Inoichi nodded gratefully and took the can.

Generally, ninja are difficult to surprise. Ninja who are easily surprised tend to die very quickly. But a veteran ninja can be surprised…if the prank is done properly.

And the prank was done properly as, when the lid was pried off the can and the spring-snakes flew out, Inoichi yelped and nearly fell over.

"I heard," Minato spoke while Inoichi stared at the trick can in shock, "that you don't think that I'm any fun anymore."

Off to the side, Shikaku started to slowly clap.

"Also," the Hokage continued calmly, "you should work on your daughter's secret-keeping skills. Making someone promise not to tell, and then telling them sensitive information, is not a way to keep secrets secret."

"Oh," Inoichi squeaked.

Minato gathered up the spring-snakes, crammed them back in the can, and jammed the lid back on.

"Thank you for your time, Inoichi," Minato smiled. "Have a good evening."

And then he left the three members of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio behind in search of dinner.

_Operation: Get Inoichi…success!_

"Hey, there you are!"

Minato turned as Kushina caught up with him.

"Why'd you stay back?" Her eyes caught sight of what was in his hand. "…Is that my trick can?"

"Yes," he grinned and handed it to her. "I needed to borrow it for something."

"Borrow it for what?" she frowned.

"I'll tell you over dinner," he promised.

"You'd better," she huffed. "I want sweet and sour chicken."

"Let's get some then."

All in all, Namikaze Minato was very pleased.

* * *

Uchiha Madara was _very_ displeased.

Things had been a bit unsettled in Kirigakure lately and he'd only recently felt comfortable enough to leave the Village Hidden in the Mist to check in with the Akatsuki. With his plans in their earliest stages, and only three of the Nine collected, there was little need to look in on his stable of powerful pawns. Nagato, more openly known as "Pein", was powerful and motivated enough to get most of the work done without Madara having to worry or hover.

Manipulating the Rin'negan was his greatest achievement behind manipulating the Kyuubi. And all he'd had to do to get Nagato on board was to drop a few suggestions and lay out a simple but daring plan that seemed to culminate in what the foolish boy desired. Just thinking of how easy it had all been made him smile behind his mask.

But he wasn't smiling now.

Kisame had washed back to Kiri a few weeks ago very confused and missing several months' worth of memory. When Madara finally arrived at the headquarters that the Akatsuki was currently inhabiting, the place looked deserted. He couldn't locate Zetsu, Deidara, Sasori, Hidan, or Kakuzu anywhere. Konan and "Pein" were also missing and the five extra bodies that "Pein" made use of had decomposed significantly.

In an absolutely foul mood, Madara had gone to the hidden chamber where Nagato—the one Akatsuki called "Leader-sama" and the true force behind "Pein"—hid himself away to protect his strained and slowly wasting body. The location of Nagato's chamber was a closely guarded secretly, only Madara and Nagato's old companion Konan knew its location. Konan visited to bring him food and provide him with some sort of direct companionship. Madara popped in every few months or so to see how things were going.

The underground chamber was blackened and stank of smoke and ash. Whatever could burn, had burned, and burned hot and long. In the center of the cavernous room sat a mostly melted pile of metal that was so charred and deformed it was hard to see what it had originally been.

_Kisame is alive and still loyal, but his memory has been tampered with. Zetsu could be dead, or his memory could also be tampered with and he just wandered off to eat people. Deidara and Sasori are probably fighting each other. Hidan is most likely off slaughtering innocents to honor his god and feed his type of immortality. Kakuzu is off tracking down bounties and making money. Konan is dead or off in mourning…_

Madara crouched down by the slagged metal and gathered a handful of ashes for closer study.

_…And Nagato, our dear dead Leader-sama and the power of Pein, is most definitely dead._

Judging by the damage done, the culprit was clear: Itachi.

_He must've found out that Pein was just a puppet and followed Konan to find Nagato. Then, when Nagato is distracted—eating, sleeping, something—Itachi incinerates him before he detects the danger… Simple, neat, and deadly, as to be expected of a top-notch assassin._

Madara spilled the pile of ash from his hand and dusted his gloved hands clean.

_That was exactly what __**I**__ planned to do…when the time was right._

The time most certainly _was not_ right.

Growling slightly, the immortal Uchiha stalked off and started his way back to Kiri.

_I still have Kisame and if Zetsu is still around I can get him back…but none of the others know me. I wasn't planning on inserting myself into the Akatsuki until it was time to make the push to acquire the other six and a spot opened up. That will make things very difficult._

It didn't make things impossible, though. He'd already checked the statue and found it intact and un-tampered with. That meant he still had possession of Five, Six, and Seven, and he wouldn't have to start completely over.

_Things will just take longer…and time I have aplenty. I __**am**__ immortal after all._ His mouth twisted into something between a smile and a frown. _I will gain control over the power of all Nine and then nothing will stand in my way…_

_And if Itachi ever shows his face again, I'll kill him for this._


	28. Shades of the Past

**Chapter 27:** _  
Shades of the Past_

The sun had set and the stars and the moon took over the sky. The night was still young and most villagers were eating dinner or just going out for the night. The bars were starting to fill up with all kinds of patrons from the day laborers to the shop keepers to the ninja.

The infamous Ino-Shika-Cho trio drifted into their favorite tavern and monopolized a table set into the back in the shadows. They each ordered a drink and Chouza ordered some food. When their orders were delivered, each of them savored a few sips of their drinks before leaping into discussion.

"That was insane!" Inoichi sputtered.

"Yes, it was a little strange," Chouza agreed.

"A little?!"

"Troublesome," Shikaku grunted. "You're just worked up over that can of prank snakes."

"Shut up!" Inoichi huffed. "Don't tell me that you two didn't flinch when those things popped out."

Shikaku rolled his eyes. "If you didn't notice, that whole meeting was off."

"I noticed," Inoichi grumbled. "I was paying attention the same as you. What do you make of it, Mr. Brainiac?"

"Hard to say," Shikaku shrugged. "I haven't seen enough to do more than make stabs in the dark—"

"Hey there!" a brash voice interrupted. The three men looked up to find the feral grin of Inuzuka Tsume glittering at them. "Mind if I join ya?"

Inoichi squirmed. "Uh—"

"Thanks!" she cackled and pulled up a chair to their table.

"…What brings you here, Tsume?" Chouza asked politely.

"Talking to Aburame gives me a headache, Hyuuga's too prickly, and Uchiha…I don't know her that well." She flashed them a toothy grin. "But you guys are fun and smart! You'd know what's going on with our dear Hokage-sama. And you stayed behind, didn't ya? You know just a little bit more…"

"He pranked Inoichi," Shikaku muttered into his beer. "He found out some things that he told Ino, he scared the crap out of him, and then he sent him off with a warning."

"Fake snakes popped out of a can that looked like it had peanuts in it," Chouza added cheerfully.

Tsume guffawed. "Ha, wish I'd seen that!"

"Shut up!" Inoichi hissed. "It wasn't that funny!"

"Yes it was," Shikaku and Chouza countered.

"Heh, okay kids, no fighting now," the Inuzuka woman snickered.

Inoichi slumped in his chair. "Whatever, can we get back to the important stuff?"

"Fine," Shikaku yawned. "As I was saying, I'm only making stabs in the dark here, but it's obvious that something is different."

The Yondaime they were familiar with wouldn't have cut Homura off when he tried to give his summary before the meeting; he would've sat and patiently listened even though he didn't need to hear it. The Yondaime they knew would've seemed unhappy, on edge, restless; not cool, calm, and confident. Their Yondaime wouldn't have pulled a prank on anyone for any reason.

"Well, duh!" Tsume scoffed. "Even Kuromaru noticed he was different. The question is _why_?"

Shikaku stared into his drink. "Something happened to him, somewhere between the Sand-Sound strike and his return to office, that's led to a shift in personality. Tsunade-sama likely had nothing to do with it as she's only recently arrived. That leaves whatever Orochimaru did to him, and what the Uzumaki boy was rumored to have done to him."

"Do you think…" Chouza began hesitantly. "Do you think that…_that_ had any effect on Hokage-sama? There were all kinds of rumors that that Naruto boy…unleashed some of _it_ on him."

"I doubt it," Shikaku snorted. "It either would've killed him outright, or changed him a lot, and for the worse. You can't say that he's changed for the worse…"

"Not yet anyway," Tsume grunted. "I can't complain with what I saw today. We need someone who isn't afraid to kick a little ass and not worry about stepping on toes."

"What if he steps on your toes, Tsume-san?" Chouza wondered.

"I'll get over it," she shrugged and waved a server over to order a drink.

"Troublesome," Shikaku muttered. "The only way to do more than guess at what's going on is to gather more information, and the least troublesome way to go about it is to ask Hokage-sama himself. The worst that can happen is that he won't tell us anything."

"Yeah," Tsume nodded. "So who's gonna ask?"

"…I'll do it," Inoichi grumbled. "I should let him know that I've had a little talk with Ino-chan…and I'd like to know who she told to get it to him so damn fast."

"While you're there, could you…find out more about the Hokage's assistant?" Chouza asked hesitantly.

The three others stared at him.

"You're married Chouza, why do you want to know about a single woman?" Inoichi frowned.

The Akimichi's round cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "It's not—that's not what I—"

"Relax," Shikaku groaned. "Inoichi's just being stupid…again." He punctuated that statement by smacking the Yamanaka upside the head.

"Ow!" Inoichi whined.

"Why the curiosity?" Tsume asked bluntly.

"It's just…I'm sure that I know her from somewhere else, but I can't remember where," Chouza sighed.

"Not this again," the Yamanaka complained. "It's always 'I know her from somewhere…' but he never remembers _where_. She's been his assistant since forever. You're probably just remembering her from the first few years she started working for him…or something."

"I'm sure that's not it," Chouza insisted.

"Whatever, whatever," Inoichi mumbled into his glass. "I'll ask if I remember to."

Tsume smirked as her drink arrived and glanced at Inoichi. "…So, did you scream like a girl when Hokage-sama got ya?"

Inoichi laid his head on the table and moaned. "God, I need to get drunk…"

* * *

_The village streets were deserted as the sun set and stained everything an unnerving red. A strong but brief tremor rumbled through the ground, making windows rattle and a few things break. He shuddered at the eerie atmosphere and hurried into the hospital, the one place in the entire village that remained occupied and thoroughly busy._

_Doctors and nurses rushed every which way, their faces grim and their eyes wide with fear. Any patient who could be moved from the hospital was evacuated to leave room for the flood of wounded that was sure to arrive. The only thing that interrupted the panicked bustle of preparation was the infrequent shudders of the ground underneath their feet._

_A monster was coming._

_All the villagers had fled into the caves and tunnels to escape it. The hospital was bracing for the death that it would bring. And every ninja who could be gathered was trying to stop it…_

We're going to die,_ he thought bleakly as he wormed his way through the hospital hallways._ We're all going to die.

_It was little comfort that the Hokage had a plan to stop it. The old man's idea was so dangerous and cruel that it was a move of last desperation. But with every passing moment, it became ever clearer that this option of last resort was the __**only**__ option._

_He reached a private waiting room and bowed to the elderly man who sat there, worn and weary and puffing dejectedly at his pipe._

_"Hokage-sama," he murmured._

_"Minato," the Hokage sighed. "How goes things?"_

_"No better than my last report," he answered unhappily._

_With his _Hiraishin_ ability, he could warp back and forth from the village to the battlefront with the demon to ferry news and orders from the village leader. With all the other details worked out for the suicidal jutsu, like the complex knot of seals, Jiraiya took over commanding the front. This allowed the old man to rest and search for the last ingredient necessary for his "last resort" option. _

_"It's still advancing," he continued grimly. "And our losses continue to climb."_

_The aging Hokage nodded sadly and took another drag on his pipe._

_"Sandaime-sama," he inquired hesitantly. "How goes your search?"_

_"Nowhere," the old man muttered with a sad shake of his head. "Every family that I've spoken with has flatly refused. I still have a few walking-wounded making inquiries, but…I'm afraid we'll have to start searching records of orphanages to see if there are any children young enough—"_

_"Hokage-sama!" a young ninja with his arm in a sling gasped as he skidded into the room. "I think–I think I found a volunteer! She wants to talk to you."_

_"Alright," the Sandaime nodded, not at all relieved that he might have found the vessel that they needed. "I shall see her momentarily. Minato, return to Jiraiya, but don't get his hopes up over this."_

_He nodded and left the room. He could've used his special teleporting jutsu to leave, but he hated it as he always feared that he'd rematerialize half-way in a wall or a tree so he tried to wait until the last possible moment to use it. And in this case, he worried about reappearing too close to the demon fox every time he flitted back to the battlefront._

Well, I _wanted_ to be useful again,_ he reminded himself bitterly as he leapt onto the hospital roof and stared off at the horizon that hid the raging nine-tailed fox._ Now I have my wish…

_The idea of willingly returning to the vicinity of a giant, nine-tailed, fire-breathing fox was insane. Its rage and blood lust was a tangible thing in the air that made it hard to breathe, hard to think. But ninja were fighting it and dying and the least he could do to help was be a seal designer and play messenger boy. _

_Sucking in a deep breath, he visualized a seal marker and gathered his chakra—_

* * *

—And hit the floor.

"Ow," Minato grunted, his legs still on the bed and tangled with the sheets. "Urgh."

Scrubbing a hand over his face, he slid the rest of the way off his bed and extracted himself from his bed sheets. He laid on his back for a minute before struggling up the will to get to his feet and get his day started. His "dream" lingered in his mind as he trudged into the shower.

_I was a coward,_ he frowned. _But at least I did something. I didn't just sit and hide, or just write the seal and then sit back and do nothing._

His frown deepened as a greater source of guilt seeped through him.

_I wasn't there for her at all. She was pregnant all by herself, she had Naruto all by herself, and she raised him for the first few years all by herself regardless of the added burden of the Kyuubi. It's a miracle that she wanted anything to do with me after all of that…_

Uzumaki Kushina was a strong woman to do all that and then go and forgive him.

_I love her so much… I wonder if there's any way to make all those years of loneliness up to her. …I don't think there's enough chocolate and ramen in the world to cover that._

It was a pity that Itachi had already killed Orochimaru, because Minato ached to snap the snake's neck…

And speaking of Itachi, he needed to decide what he was going to do with the Uchiha. When interviewed, Itachi freely gave up damning information on the secret organization known as "Akatsuki". He gave detailed profiles on all the active members, what demons had been collected so far and how it had been done, and the individual responsible for loosing the Kyuubi on the village years ago.

_To think that that man is still alive and still able to bend a beast like the demon fox to his will…_ Minato shivered and stepped out of the shower. _I hope that the chaos that Itachi left in his wake will buy us a lot more time._

Itachi was one of the most powerful and skilled ninja he had. Killing him for his "crimes" would be a waste. But should he just release Itachi and leave him in exile again? Or was there a way to allow him to remain in the village?

_When I dreamed of this position, I never dreamed I'd have to make such terrible choices…_

* * *

Tsunade glowered as she marched to the Tower. She could be hiding out in a bar getting drunk right now, but Minato had requested a meeting with her. Shizune had found out about it and bullied the blonde woman into staying sober and keeping her appointment.

_I shouldn't even still be in this village!_ she groused. _Minato isn't a brain-damaged vegetable so there's no reason for me to be here. I've fulfilled my end of the bet so I should just leave…_

But she would meet with Minato, the Hokage, before she left. It would be like a good-bye. And then she would leave before something—the patients at the hospital or that sneaky brat who'd run off with her necklace—found a way to tie her down.

She shook her head at one patient in particular. Out of a morbid sense of curiosity, she'd gone and consulted on the patients that the doctors had wanted her to and found the most frustrating to be Rock Lee. She'd been blunt about what he should do, yet he—_and_ Maito Gai, _damn_ him!—insisted on finding some way to remain a ninja. The boy shouldn't even _be _a ninja in the first place with how malformed his chakra coils were.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Still fuming, she strode into the Hokage's office, brown eyes spitting sparks.

To his credit, Minato only flinched a little when he met her eyes.

"Good morning, Tsunade-sama," he nodded politely. "Would you like something to drink? Tea? Coffee?"

"If you're not offering sake I'm not interested," she growled. "Get to the point, please."

"Alright," he sighed and set aside the papers that he'd been reviewing. "I've seen various estimates of the debts that you've accrued and even the most conservative calculations are terrifying. What do you plan to do about those?"

"I think since my usual strategy has worked pretty well all these years I'd just stick with that."

Minato gave her a sad look, a mixture of pity and disappointment. It reminded her of the look the Sandaime, her former teacher, had worn when he'd let her leave the village. Tsunade wanted to punch that look off Minato's face.

"What do _you_ suggest I do then?" she snapped.

"Well, unfortunately the village can't absorb all your debt, and your clan's resources are all but gone, but there remains one possibility. I've arranged to meet with the Daimyo in a few weeks to update him on the status of the village…and I could ask him to cover the parts of your debts that the village can't."

Her eyes narrowed. "You would persuade the Daimyo of _Hi no Kuni_ to pay off my debts?"

"I'm certain he'll have some requests of you if he agrees, such as being his personal physician for a set number of years and the like." He flashed her a confident grin. "I'm sure that he'll at least consider helping. You are a woman of great renown…and I think that he'll like bragging to his friends that he has you at his command."

"And what would _you_ demand of me if I were to agree to your plan?" Tsunade frowned.

"No more gambling with money you don't have," he replied. "That's the most important thing. Gaining new debts undoes any work done to remove the old debts."

It wasn't an unexpected order, but that couldn't be all. "And what else?"

"You'll work in the hospital for half pay to make up for all the money that'll be needed to cover your debts," he continued. And then he pulled out an older-looking report. "In fact, I went over your old proposal for a new medic-training program and dedicated medic corp. and I like it. If you're still interested, I'd like to give you the chance to put it into practice."

Tsunade's breath caught in her throat. One of the things she'd argued and fought for, something she'd dreamed to do for years, and he was going to let her do it? It was hard to believe.

"You'd let me?" she breathed. "When that old fool wouldn't?"

"Name calling isn't very nice," Minato frowned slightly. "Hiruzen-sama liked your idea, it just wasn't the time to try and implement it. When you first made your proposal, the village was in the middle of a war." He smiled. "Now, on the other hand, while things are a bit tense, we are not at war."

"But…" Her mind spun in several different directions. "I'm not much of a medic anymore. Blood makes me freeze up."

"Shizune-san can help you when real blood comes up, can't she?" Minato suggested.

"I suppose she could…" she muttered. _And Shizune certainly would love a chance to stay here. She's been gone so long. She's been having trouble finding many of her old friends._

But what about the ghosts—Nawaki, Dan, all the souls that she couldn't save? They'd still haunt her. And all the happy villagers that hadn't a care in the world while ninja fought and died for them. It pissed her off. That led her to drink and gamble—but if she stayed, she _couldn't _gamble—and blood, it—

"You don't have to decide today," Minato reassured her, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder (_When did he get up from behind his desk?_). "My meeting with the Daimyo is two weeks away."

"You'd like me to stay, wouldn't you?" she sighed, glancing away from him and out of the many office windows at the village skyline.

"Of course! You're the best doctor I've ever had; I missed you when you left. And," he added with an innocent look, "you're the only woman who can keep Jiraiya-sensei in line."

She had to laugh at that. Minato was just as she remembered him. He'd grown into a fine man, but was still as sweet and adorable as the boy she'd first met years ago.

_He doesn't have to __**take**__ the candy from the baby; he can talk the baby into __**giving**__ him the candy._

"…I'll think about it," she agreed.

"Thank you," he smiled gratefully.

_And the Iwa-nin thought his special kunai were his most effective weapon…_


	29. Inoichi Investigates

**Chapter 28:** _  
Inoichi Investigates_

When Naruto met up with his team for a day of training, he found Ino and Sakura having a screaming match. That wasn't anything special. The two girls got into fights all the time over Sasuke. But then Ino rounded on _him_.

"It was _you_!" the blonde girl snapped, jabbing a finger at him. "You were the one!"

"Huh?" Naruto squeaked. "What'd I do?"

"You promised not to spread around what I told you about the Hokage, and you did!" she accused. "It had to be you!"

"…How do you know that I told anyone?" he asked warily.

"My dad _grounded me_ because the _Hokage_ found out about it!" she shrieked furiously.

"Oh." Naruto nervously itched at the back of his head and leaned away from the angry girl. "Well, I asked the Hokage if it was true—because it totally sounded crazy."

Ino gaped at him. "You told the _Hokage_?!"

"Naruto," Sakura groaned. "Can't you keep any secrets?"

"Of course I can!" he huffed, insulted. "I'm good at keeping secrets."

"Well what secrets do you know?" Ino asked skeptically.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "If I told you what I know, it wouldn't be secret anymore, would it?"

The Kyuubi was the biggest secret he knew, and there was no way he'd willingly tell anyone about it. The fact that the Yondaime was…doing stuff…with his mom was another, and something he wished he could forget. The other secrets that he laid claim to were minor in comparison and involved people he doubted that Ino or Sakura cared about, like Konohamaru.

Ino ground her teeth at his response.

"Why were you even talking about that stuff with Sakura anyway?" Naruto asked with a frown. "Whether or not Yondy-sama has some lost secret life isn't any of your business."

"I wanted Sakura's opinions on some theories of mine. Hokage-sama's amnesia—it's like something out of a novel—it's romantic, it's tragic, it's mysterious…" Ino's blue eyes grew starry and she sighed. Then she flashed Naruto a dismissive look. "It's a girl thing, you wouldn't understand."

"We were just harmlessly speculating, Naruto," Sakura sighed.

Naruto stared at the two kunoichi. _I don't get girls…_

"So is it true?" Sasuke asked.

All three jumped, having forgotten that Sasuke was standing only a few feet away on the small bridge.

"Is what true, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura blinked.

"You talked to the Hokage." Sasuke's dark eyes focused on Naruto. "So is it true?"

"The amnesia thing?" Naruto guessed. "Yeah, it used to be."

"Used to be?" Sasuke repeated.

"When I talked to him, he said his memory wasn't a problem anymore," Naruto shrugged.

"Like…he _doesn't_ have amnesia anymore?" Ino blinked.

"Yeah," Naruto nodded.

"Hokage-sama remembers everything?" Sakura asked.

Naruto nodded again.

There was silence…and then both girls squealed in excitement. While his ears were still ringing, they pelted him with questions. Was there a secret girlfriend from far away? Was there a secret child—a girl or a boy? Was the girl pretty and smart? Was the boy handsome and talented?

"I don't know," Naruto grumbled. "I didn't ask about any of that."

The girls looked…displeased.

_I just don't get girls…at all._

* * *

After grounding his daughter, Inoichi shadowed her, just to make sure that she was being honest with him about only telling Team 7 about the Hokage's secret condition. He wanted to trust her, but the village's security was potentially at stake and he had to be sure. And after her grounding, she would surely find time to slip away and confront whoever she suspected was responsible for spreading things around to the point where the Hokage found out about it.

She headed straight for Team 7 and immediately tore into her old friend, the Haruno girl. Inoichi had to agree that she would be the most likely source of the leak. Girls liked to talk, and the Uchiha boy was unlikely to say anything to anyone.

And then the other boy showed up.

Inoichi knew it was stupid, but his stomach clenched at the sight of the container all the same. He wasn't a stupid civilian who didn't understand the concept of sealing. He knew that the boy and the demon were two separate entities—one imprisoned within the other.

But he remembered the demon. He remembered the crushing aura of rage that had choked the air, the reek of smoke and death, the fear of the ninja all around him, _his own fear_. Ino had just been born, his precious baby girl, and his darling wife, and all his family, and his friends new babies—they were all going to die because it just _kept on coming_. It swatted at them like they were little more than annoying flies and shrugged off their attacks like they were nothing. No matter what they did, it just kept on going, lumbering towards the village with murder and destruction in mind.

He knew that the demon was sealed away. But there was always the fear and the doubt, especially in the beginning. What if the Yondaime was too addled by his mysterious injury and there was a flaw in the seal? What if the demon found a way to corrupt its host into a pawn or a puppet? What if it got _free_?

Killing the child seemed to be the safest thing. It was horrible and cruel and wholly unfair to the boy, but how could he justify letting such a dangerous thing exist? The Yondaime had ascended to power then and put a stop to that drive in the Council, and with each passing year it seemed that the new Hokage was right. The fear and doubt was weakened, but still it lingered.

And then the boy had gotten tangled up in that mess with Orochimaru's seal and seemingly did the Hokage serious harm. The old fears seemed justified then. But Jiraiya-sama had assured them all that is wasn't the fox's doing, just the boy wanting to help but being stupid instead.

Now everything was fine.

…It turned out the demon vessel was the leak…and the kid had gone straight to the Hokage, too.

_Of course he would,_ Inoichi grumbled to himself as he lounged on a nearby roof. _When does that kid ever **not **talk to the Yondaime?_

It was fairly well-known in the ninja community that the fox-boy spent a lot of time in the Hokage Tower, and a lot of time with the Hokage. Inoichi had trouble counting all the times he'd been in the Tower for some reason or other and seen the boy playing in the halls, playing in the Hokage's office, or following the Yondaime around like a cheery little shadow. One time, when the boy had been small, he'd turned up underneath the long table where the Council had been meeting, and the Yondaime had taken time out of the meeting to hand the child over to his assistant (who conveniently was the child's mother) and waited until she came back from dumping the boy with another ninja before getting back to business.

At the time, the interrupted meeting had been annoying. Those meeting were so long and tedious and _anything_ that made them longer was something that he immediately hated. But now that he looked back on it years later after the annoyance was long gone, it was actually rather funny.

Inoichi was so busy reminiscing that he nearly missed what else the blonde fox-boy revealed.

_Wait, __**what**__ did he say?!_

He almost yelled the question out loud. But doing so would reveal him spying on Ino and her friends. And his little girl was already mad enough at him.

_The Hokage…has his memory back?!_

If that was true, it was a very good thing. It was very likely to _be_ true. It would explain the Hokage's strange behavior in his first meeting back and the snake-can too. And Inoichi doubted that the Hokage would lie to his favorite kid unless he had to, and as this was good news there was no reason to lie or hide it.

The Hokage regaining his memory negated the fear that other villages would invade if they learned that his memory was a mess.

_I need to confirm this, just to be sure._

With that thought in mind, he left his daughter and her friend to squeal over this new development and bounded over the rooftops toward the Tower. There was a line for the Hokage's office; various teams or team leaders waiting for a chance to pull a mission from the pile. And, being at the end of the line, Inoichi had to wait his turn.

It was maddening.

Eventually, his turn did come, and the Yamanaka eagerly darted inside.

"…I don't think you came to get a mission," the Yondaime observed.

"No," Inoichi shook his head. "I had a chat with Ino. She won't be spreading around sensitive information again anytime soon." He grimaced slightly. "She only spread it to the three genin of Team 7, but only…" He had to think for a moment to dig up the boy's name. "Only that Naruto kid told…but you knew that already."

"I did." The Hokage leaned back in his chair. "Was that all you wanted to say?"

"I also happened to hear that your lost memories aren't so lost anymore," Inoichi innocently remarked. "Is that true?"

"Yes," the Hokage smiled faintly. "I thought the last Council meeting hinted at that."

"It did hint at something," Inoichi snorted. "No one was entirely sure what, though."

"Well, now you know for certain," the Yondaime shrugged. "Feel free to spread that around if you're so inclined."

"Sure." While Inoichi was very happy that the fox-child's news was confirmed, he had a bit of a bone to pick with his restored leader. "What was with the fake peanut can?"

"You said that I wasn't any fun anymore, and I felt like proving you wrong. I didn't feel like doing what you used to find so fun about me—as that involved getting me drunk and then laughing at me—so I came up with something else." The Hokage flashed Inoichi one of his famous cheesy grins, so wide that his eyes tended to get squeezed shut by it. "I do believe I succeeded, don't you?"

Inoichi gave him a disgruntled look. "Yeah, sure," he huffed. "I suppose we can't have people finding out that the Hokage can't hold his liquor and turns into a whiny girl when he gets tipsy."

Now it was the Hokage who was frowning. "Yes, I'd rather not have that opinion floating around."

"Sure thing," Inoichi agreed, cheery mood restored. "We missed you, you know."

The Yondaime nodded. "I can imagine."

There was silence for a minute before Inoichi spoke up again.

"If you don't already have a girlfriend tucked away somewhere, you should get one."

The Hokage stared at him. "…Why?"

"Female companionship for one," Inoichi answered, "but, more importantly, for the future!"

"The future?"

"If you just have one kid with a _tenth_ of your talent, it'll be fantastic," the Yamanaka explained. "Your line should continue, and the sooner the better. Babies are _exhausting_."

The Hokage just kept staring at him and Inoichi started to wonder if he'd pushed the you-need-to-spawn-an-heir-as-soon-as-possible idea a bit too hard, too fast. Various members of the Council had brought the matter to the Hokage's attention throughout his reign, but he'd always done his best to ignore it. Now that his memory was restored, surely whatever hang-ups he had on the idea would be resolved…right?

_Is there some reason he doesn't want kids?_ Inoichi wondered incredulously. _I can't imagine one. He likes kids. He adored those students of his…_

"Heh," the Hokage chuckled and stood up from behind his desk. "I'm touched that you're so worried about my legacy, Inoichi." He walked around his desk to pat the other man on the shoulder. "But you don't have to worry. My line is ensured." And then he walked out of the office.

Inoichi stood in the empty office and wrangled with this new snippet of information.

_…What the hell does he mean by that?! Does he have a—no, he's an only child. Some other relative? I don't remember hearing of any… Could he have a kid already? …No, that doesn't seem likely. Maybe he just knocked some girl up…?_

Maddened by the possibilities, he strode out of the office intent on catching up to the Hokage to extract more information—

_THUD._

"Hey!"

Inoichi cringed at the mess of dropped papers, and more so at the irritated glare that the red-headed woman was giving him.

"Uh, sorry…"

She growled and crouched down to gather everything up.

The Yamanaka almost continued on his mission, but he recalled Chouza's desire to know more about the Hokage's assistant. And who better to ask than the woman herself? So he joined her in gathering up the spilled documents.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," he muttered.

"Obviously," she grunted.

_Well aren't you a ray of sunshine?_ "One of my friends swears that he's met you before—before you came to your current position—but he can't remember where."

"I've lived in this village for a long time," she shrugged. "Until I got pregnant, I was a kunoichi. I'm sure that I've crossed paths with you and your buddies at least once or twice in the past."

And then, with her stack of papers restored, she swept off down the hall without another word.

"But, that doesn't help at all…" Inoichi sighed to thin air.

* * *

Naruto took a swig from his water bottle, and then splashed some over his head. Sasuke studied some of his used kunai, throwing one to the side when he determined it was unsalvageable. They'd just finished a spar and were taking a breather before they started up again. Kakashi was off on another part of the training field they were practicing on with Sakura, teaching her some more about genjutsu.

"Heh, I totally got you!" Naruto grinned.

"No, you didn't," Sasuke scoffed.

"Yes, I did!"

"Hn," the Uchiha grunted.

"Why do you always grunt like that?" Naruto frowned. "And why do all the girls seem to like it?"

"No idea," Sasuke shrugged, ignoring the first question. "I wish they didn't."

Naruto rolled his eyes and stretched, mindful of his sore spots.

"Hey, Naruto," the Uchiha muttered after a pause. "What do you know about your father?"

The blonde genin blinked. "Huh?"

"Stupid," Sasuke muttered. "Do you know anything about your father? Did your mom show you any pictures or tell you any stories?"

"…No." Naruto frowned at his teammate. "Why?"

Sasuke had finished going through his kunai and blinked disbelievingly at the blonde. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, so what?" Naruto squinted at him. "Why do you even care?"

"I was curious," Sasuke replied. "You've never said a word about him, not even back in school where everybody always argued whose dad was better. Your mom never said anything either."

"Geeze, you're just as nosy as Ino and Sakura," Naruto snorted.

"No I'm not," Sasuke scowled.

"Yeah you are," Naruto retorted.

"Hn," Sasuke sneered and got up to stand out in the open part of the field. "Let's go."

Naruto rolled his eyes and went to spar with his partner again. Sometimes Sasuke could be as touchy as a girl…especially when he was compared with a girl. Too bad he didn't hit like a girl.

_I'll ask Mom about it tonight,_ Naruto decided as a nasty punch clipped his shoulder. _Just for Sasuke-teme…_

* * *

Yamanaka Inoichi sighed as he slunk into the Nara household. As he and his wife were going to have dinner with the Naras in an hour, he didn't see much point in going home just to leave and come here. All he had to do was use the phone and let his wife know that he was already with Shikaku and Yoshino and he was set.

After losing the Hokage in his office, he never managed to catch up with the man again. It was the same with the village leader's assistant. So after chatting up a few office ninja (which netted him no useful information) he ended up leaving.

_At least I found out something… Which is better than nothing, of course. But still…_

"How troublesome," Shikaku muttered at the sight of him.

"Did you not find out anything?" Chouza asked between chewing on his salted nuts.

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Inoichi did a bit of a double-take. "Not to be rude…but what are you doing here, Hiashi?"

"I've come to pick up some medicine for my uncle," the Hyuuga leader replied.

Like the Yamanaka were known for flowers, the Nara were known for their traditional medicines. They had assisted in the refinement of the Akimichi's special pills and raised deer to use their shed antlers as medicinal ingredients. Of course the Hyuuga would buy their medicines direct from the other clan; most clans did. Only the proud Uchiha seemed to shun giving the Nara (and most other clans) their business.

"…Why not send a Branch member to get it?" the Yamanaka wondered.

"I like to run errands myself on occasion," was Hiashi's haughty response.

"Inoichi went to the Tower to see if he could find out the cause of Hokage-sama's altered behavior," Shikaku explained before Inoichi could respond.

"Did you ask about the Hokage's assistant?" Chouza asked.

"Yeah, I asked about her," Inoichi sighed as he sat down on the couch between a snacking Chouza and an irritated Hiashi. "All I really got was that she used to be an active field kunoichi so she might've run into us a few times doing ninja things."

"The Hokage's secretary?" Hiashi sniffed disdainfully. "I recall her earlier years. She was a rather vulgar woman, and could never tell the difference between my brother and I. She would start talking to me, realize her mistake mid-sentence, and then complain: 'Oh, you're the wrong one. Where's your brother? You know, the one of you two with the pulse.'" He shook his head gravely. "I don't understand how she managed to gain her current position."

Inoichi struggled mightily not to laugh. "'The one of you two with the pulse'!"

"But where did _I_ see her?" Chouza frowned.

"Most likely wherever Namikaze-san was," Hiashi replied, pointedly ignoring Inoichi's snickers. "She tended to appear wherever he was."

Chouza was silent for a moment before his round face brightened. "Oh yes, _now_ I remember! At that bachelor party we went to for Inoichi's cousin, when we got Minato drunk and were dragging him home she ran into us. She got all mad and was swearing at us and she started to take Minato home herself, but he got sick on her shoes so she started swearing at him."

"Oh yeah," Shikaku snorted. "I remember that…"

"Disgusting," Hiashi muttered.

Inoichi frowned in deep thought as he dug up the appropriate memory. As he'd been drinking, it wasn't entirely clear, but once he reviewed it, the other bits of memory that dealt with her soon followed. And it was kind of hard to believe that that girl had grown into the woman who served the Hokage.

Most of the time he'd barely noticed the Hokage's red-headed secretary when she was around. All that really stuck out about her in his mind was her red hair and every now and then she got a bit snappy with people. But other than that, she just seemed to fade into the background. She was quiet and polite and patient.

It didn't seem possible that the loud-mouthed, foul-mouthed girl that he vaguely remembered following Minato around and pestering him, was the same person as the much quieter, much more controlled secretary that served Minato, the Hokage.

"You sure it's the same chick?" Inoichi asked Hiashi dubiously. "Not her crazy sister or something?"

"I'm certain," Hiashi glared. "She is a refugee from the war; the only Uzumaki in the village…until the birth of that child of hers. Now, could we please get onto the subject of the Hokage's sanity?"

"Oh he's sane," Inoichi sighed and leaned back against the couch. "Heck, he's all better now! I mean, _all better,_ no memory problems at all."

Shikaku's eyes actually widened. "Eh? He's got his memory back?"

"He does," Inoichi smirked. "He's back to his old self."

"That is a relief," Hiashi remarked sedately.

"That's great!" Chouza grinned. "But…what was with the fake snakes?"

Hiashi raised an eyebrow. "What snakes?"

"He just didn't want to go drinking with us again," Inoichi hurriedly answered. "Hey, guess what else I found out?"

"What else did you find out?" Shikaku grumbled, his bored demeanor firmly back in place.

Inoichi folded his arms over his chest. "I hit Minato with the you-need-to-find-a-girl-and-have-kids issue, and he said something really weird."

"What did he say?" Chouza asked curiously.

"He said not to worry, that his line was already ensured." Inoichi paused for a moment to let the three other men chew over that tidbit. "Now, Minato's an only child, and most of his family is dead as far as anyone knows, so I figure that means one of two things. Either he somehow already has a kid running around that none of us know about, or he just recently got busy with a girl and got _really_ lucky."

Yoshino, Shikaku's wife, chose that moment to enter the living room with a paper packet of the medicine that Hiashi had come for.

"Here you go, Hiashi-sama," she said with a polite smile.

"Thank you," he nodded and handed over the payment he owed. Hiashi stood and stiffly bowed to the other men. "Thank you for your..._enlightening_…information. Good day." And then he made his exit.

"Inoichi," Yoshino frowned. "I'll call your wife for you."

"Thank you, Yoshino-chan!" Inoichi called after her as she disappeared back into the kitchen.

"You really think Hokage-sama already has a kid somewhere?" Chouza muttered as he sifted through his bag of nuts.

"I guess it's possible," Shikaku shrugged.

Inoichi closed his eyes and sighed deeply as he mulled over the possibilities again. The "recently conceived" child was most likely. It didn't really seem possible that he could've had a child already and no one had noticed.

_What girl would he get busy with? About the only woman I know he spends time with is his secretary. She's his age, so a bit on the old side for having babies…_

He frowned.

_She already has a kid, though. She's…__**that**__ kid's mother. So at least she's fertile…_

He thought about the secretary, and how she was supposedly the crazy red-head who used to platonically chase the future Hokage around. He thought about the kid she had, the one cursed with the demon. And, now that he thought about it, he realized that he didn't really know the details of the kid's face. He knew the yellow-blonde hair and whisker-marked cheeks well enough, but little else. It made him wonder about the other half of the equation that made the kid.

"Hey, Shikaku," the Yamanaka muttered. "Does your wife order those class pictures from the Academy?"

"Of course," Shikaku yawned. "Why?"

"I want to look at 'em, why else would I ask?"

The Nara shrugged, peeled himself out of his armchair, and trudged into the kitchen. There was a brief discussion with his wife, it sounded like Yoshino smacked him, and then there were some footsteps on the stairs and then the floor above. Eventually Shikaku returned with a stack of photographs, most of which were still stored in the clear plastic sleeves they had come in.

Every school took some form of class pictures, even the Ninja Academy. There were the individual photos, and then the class photos. The first years' class photos were full of students, with the number shrinking each year as the less promising students figured out they weren't meant to be ninja and transferred to one of the civilian schools.

Inoichi jumped straight to the last class photo. Most of the faces were unimportant; the kids had lasted all the way to the last year and passed the exams, but their teachers hadn't rated their teams as acceptable and they'd either gone back for a remedial year or given up and gone into the civilian school. That left nine faces: his daughter and her teammates, and six others divided between two teams.

His eyes eventually picked out the blonde-haired boy that he was seeking. He studied the hair, the face, the smile…and swallowed a curse. He's seen that smile dozens of times before, most recently just hours ago in the Hokage's office. That same stupid grin. It looked rather foxy on the kid, though.

"Damn," he muttered, tossing the picture down onto the coffee table. "He did do his secretary…before she was his secretary."

"How'd you figure that?" Shikaku frowned and picked up the photo. He squinted at the image for a while, and then answered his own question. "Oh. Damn."

"What?" Chouza piped up. Shikaku showed him the picture and pointed out the face. "Oh. How come no one ever noticed before?"

"Because no one ever wanted to look," Inoichi sighed and rubbed at his eyes. "No one wanted to see."

The Hokage protected the boy, so no one dared harm him. No one wanted him around, so they un-saw him. Even when the child scampered innocently after the Yondaime, no one really looked at him, let alone noted the uncanny resemblance.

Fear made people stupid and blind.


	30. Dear Old Dad

**Chapter 29:** _  
Dear Old Dad_

Kushina tried not to smile as she watched Naruto fidget from the corner of her eye. He'd pick at his dumplings, open his mouth to say something but stop or say something else, and generally looked uncomfortable for some reason. Her son had been at it most of dinner.

"Okay," she set her chopsticks down, "what is it?"

"Huh?" Naruto squeaked.

"You obviously want to say something or ask something, you just don't know how." She leaned back in her chair and eyed her son curiously. "So out with it already!"

The boy sighed and picked at a mangled chicken dumpling. "Sasuke asked about…my father…and I didn't have anything to tell him. He acted like it was crazy that I didn't know anything."

She bit her lip to hold back a sigh. She'd purposely said nothing about Naruto's father so that she wouldn't have to lie about him. It helped a lot that he never seemed particularly curious about his father, asking about him only once that she could remember. He'd accepted her very vague answer without any surprise and had never asked again.

She'd kept things quiet at first because how could a little boy understand that his father didn't realize that he existed because the man he used to be no longer existed along with his memory. And how could he be expected to keep information like that secret? He'd be so proud to know who his dad was it would be unfair to make him keep quiet about it. And if he were to slip up, he risked drawing the long list of enemies his father had made onto his own little head. But when she'd felt he was old enough, she'd planned to tell him everything.

Now, though, with the Hokage's memory restored…there was no reason to hide it anymore.

"Do you want to know about your father because you're curious, or just so you can answer Sasuke the next time you see him?" she wondered.

"So I can answer Sasuke," the boy pouted. "Why else would I want to know? You liked him, you didn't marry him, and he's dead—I didn't need to know anything else about him."

Kushina frowned a bit. "Naruto, I never said that he was dead."

Naruto blinked at her. "Huh?"

"Your father isn't dead," she repeated. "Why do you think he is?"

"Well, he doesn't live here," he glowered, "you never talk about him, and you said that he was 'lost' the last time I asked."

"That's not what I said," she sighed. "I said that he 'lost himself' which does not mean that he's dead."

Naruto stared blankly back at her. "What _does_ it mean then?"

"Think about it," she advised and tweaked his nose. "Use that brain of yours!"

"_Mom_," he groaned. When she failed to cave and just tell him, he scooped the mangled dumpling into his mouth and chewed it while he thought. "You said he's not dead, so…he went for a walk and got lost…but everyone else knows where he is?"

It was very hard not to laugh at him, but with effort she managed to choke it down into a snort.

"No. Interesting guess, but no."

"Then what?" Naruto scowled.

"He lost himself," she repeated, more to herself than to her son. "He lost his memory and he wasn't the same anymore. He forgot all about me, and I stayed away…"

"So…he's got amnesia like Yondy-sama used to have?"

She grinned at him. "Exactly!" _Now put one and one together…_

"Oh." He poked at the dollop of rice on his plate with his chopsticks for a moment. "So who is he? Have I met him?"

Kushina rubbed at her temples. _…Or not._ "Yes, you've met him. Before you went to the Academy, you saw him pretty much every day. And you still see him pretty often now."

"…Huh?" Naruto squinted up at her. "But…I thought you said that you stayed away from him?"

"At first I did. I don't anymore." After another minute's confused silence, she gave up on beating around the bush. She'd never been that good at it anyway; never had the patience necessary. "Your father is Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage, okay?"

Naruto stared at her. The chopsticks slipped from his fingers. He slowly slid sideways off his chair and thumped to the floor. And then he popped back up and pointed at her.

"Ah!" he cried, waving his arm. "Why didn't you just say that?! And…and…what?"

She had to laugh a bit. He'd gone from shouting and animated to quiet and befuddled in the space of a few seconds. Him falling off his chair had been rather humorous too.

"Mom, why didn't you just tell me who he was the first time instead of just telling me that he 'lost himself'?" Naruto asked with a frown.

"A lot of reasons," she sighed, her humor dying away.

"…Did Yondy-sama know, too?" the boy pouted.

Kushina shook her head. "No, I never told him about his history with me."

"Why not? Didn't you like him? Or love him? Or whatever?"

"I did," she answered. "And I still do. That's why I never said anything to him."

Naruto just gave her a baffled look.

"Imagine this," she suggested. "One day you wake up in a strange place, surrounded by strange people who you don't know but they know you. These strangers tell you who your friends are, but you don't know these friends, and sometimes when you meet these friends you find that you're not sure that you like them."

"…That doesn't sound very fun," her son muttered.

"It isn't," she smiled thinly. "That's how it was for your father when he first returned to the village after losing his memory. I didn't want to be the strange woman who is suddenly his girlfriend, carrying his baby. I didn't want him to take care of us because he felt honor-bound to. Enough had been forced on him, and I didn't want to be that one more thing."

Naruto scratched at the back of his head. "But…you worked for him. And he liked you."

"I came to him as a stranger with no claim on his past and let him get to know me." She finished off her glass of water. "He appreciated that and he appreciated my hard work for him. That's all."

"Nah, I bet he really liked you," Naruto insisted. He scrunched up his face in disgust. "I know he really does now…"

She smiled slightly, and winced internally. "Well, is there anything else you want to know?"

"…I dunno," Naruto shrugged. "Is there anything else?"

"Well," Kushina tapped her chin thoughtfully. "The first time I kissed him—"

Naruto clapped his hands over his ears and shuddered. "I don't wanna know!" He grabbed his plate and glass, put them in the sink, and scampered past her towards his room, brushing a little kiss on her cheek on as he went by. "Night, Mom!"

"Good night!" she laughed. _Ah, kids…_

With a sigh she got up and took care of her own dishes, starting the water in the sink to wash everything. Just as she was adding the dish soap to the water she sensed a presence behind her. And then a pair of arms slipped around her waist, pinning her to a firm chest.

"Do you ever sleep in your own bed?" she asked, feigning irritation.

"Not if I can help it," Minato chuckled.

"Why don't you just show up for dinner?" she wondered as she attacked a plate with a soapy sponge.

"I was still working," he replied. "You two shouldn't have to wait for me."

She gently nudged his side with her elbow. "Help me dry these off."

"Yes, ma'am," he agreed and moved beside her to dry the dishes that she cleaned.

"So, were you working on anything interesting?"

"No," he sighed. "Just backed up paperwork."

"Poor baby," she snorted. "Nothing interesting at all?"

"Well, Anko-san did try to stalk me for a while," he muttered. "I get the impression that it's a hobby of hers."

"It is," Kushina muttered, rolling her eyes. "When she's not terrorizing random young ninja or scarfing down dango, she likes to proposition you. I usually have to chase her off with a sharp object of some kind so she'll leave you alone."

Minato's blue eyes glazed over for a moment, and then he smiled. "Ah, yes." He turned and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you very much, _koibito_."

"You're welcome," she muttered, blushing a bit at the stupid endearment.

"What would I have ever done without you?" he idly wondered as he put the dried dishes in their proper cabinets.

"I'd rather not think about it," she grumbled as she let the sink drain and wiped her hands on a towel.

"Yes, it'd probably be rather depressing," Minato agreed. "Kind of like living in a giant, empty house all by myself…"

Kushina snorted. "There's dropping a hint and then there's hitting someone over the head with one."

Minato just flashed his signature wide grin and shrugged.

She scowled at him and chucked the damp dish towel at his face.

Kushina knew what he wanted. She wouldn't mind giving it to him. But…she'd lived in her apartment for years; since before Naruto had been born. She loved her apartment, and back in the day when she'd idly thought about moving in together she had always assumed he'd move in with her because her apartment was bigger and just plain better.

"You know what?" she said after a long pause. "My lease will run out in about a month. I just won't renew it…"

"Thank you," he smiled and swept her up into a hug. "And I'm sure that my ANBU will be grateful, too. They'll probably be quite sick of following me here all the time by then."

"Hmph," she grunted into his shoulder. "Let's go to bed. I'm getting tired."

"Really? It's still a bit early for bed…"

"Then you can just stay here in the kitchen by yourself," she replied. "Because I'm going to bed."

Kushina started to pull away from his embrace, but he just followed her.

"Okay, let's go to bed, then."

She rolled her eyes, but smiled.

_Oh, Minato, you big baby…_

* * *

Naruto laid on his bed and stared up at his ceiling. He'd had trouble sleeping all night. His mind just kept buzzing with thoughts.

_Yondy-sama…_

It was strange. When he'd been little, he'd assumed that the Hokage was his father. And he'd been _right_.

That meant that his father had always been around. He liked the man, and his father liked him. His father was great and awesome and proud of him.

But…that also meant that when he'd broken that seal, he hadn't just risked killing his _father figure_, he'd almost done in his actual _father_. That thought made him shudder and feel sick. And it made him ten times more grateful that everything had turned out alright.

…And, it also meant that he hadn't just kind of, sort of seen his mother having sex; he'd kind of, sort of seen _both_ of his parents having sex with each other…which was infinitely grosser and creepier.

"Blah," Naruto groaned and rolled out of bed, scrubbing at his tired eyes.

With sunlight streaming through his window blinds, he knew that it was day time. His alarm clock told him it was still early morning. Knowing that he wasn't going to get anymore sleep, he sighed and trudged out of his bedroom.

The Hokage (his father) was in the kitchen making something.

_Huh?_ Naruto blinked. _What, is he moving in with us or something?_

"What are you doing?"

The Yondaime peered up from the mixing bowl he was hovering over and smiled. "Good morning. I was just making breakfast."

That got Naruto's attention immediately. "Breakfast?"

"Mm-hm," his father nodded. "You up for pancakes?"

Naruto's eyes widened. He _loved_ pancakes. It was his favorite breakfast food (as his mother refused to let him eat ramen for breakfast). But his mom didn't make them very often as she found it to be a lot of work.

"Yeah!" he cheered at was at the kitchen counter in an instant, peering at the half-mixed lumpy batter with great interest. "Can we put chocolate chips in them?"

"How about blueberries?" the older blonde chuckled. "I think I saw some in your fridge."

"Okay," Naruto agreed and went to fetch the fruit. Chocolate chips were better, but blueberries were fine, too. But he wondered… "Where's Mom?"

"Still sleeping," his father answered as he worked the lumps out of the batter. "She didn't want to get up so I offered to make breakfast."

"Oh." Naruto yawned and tried to shake off the lingering feeling of sleepiness. "You know how to cook?"

"Yes," he chuckled. "I used to cook all the time, but I don't have much time for it anymore." He glanced at the still-closed bedroom door. "Your mother," he continued in a quieter voice, "used to be a _terrible_ cook though."

"Seriously?" Naruto frowned; his mother had always been a decent cook as far as he knew.

The Hokage nodded gravely and started to heat the skillet on the stove. "One time she tried to bake me a cake for my birthday, but she thought she'd seen it done often enough to not need to look up a recipe… It did not end well."

Naruto gaped as his mind ran wild with the possibilities. Had the oven caught fire? Had the cake exploded? Did the cake make them sick?

While he pondered on this, the Yondaime carefully poured the batter into the skillet and added the blueberries. As each pancake finished cooking, it was stacked onto a large plate. He was almost through with cooking the whole batch before Naruto was through imagining unpleasant cakes.

Turning his thoughts away from ruined desserts, Naruto landed on a problem as he moved to set the table. He'd found out about his father, but would Sasuke believe it? His Uchiha teammate hadn't believed his claims that he hung out with the Hokage and got Pocky from him all the time until Sasuke had seen it firsthand. So how could he prove this?

"Man…"

"Something wrong?"

Naruto slumped into a chair. "Sasuke-teme never seems to believe anything I tell him."

"If this is about what you were asking about last night, I think he'll believe you," the Hokage smiled as he brought the stack of pancakes over to the table. "And if he doesn't, you still know the truth and he'll catch on eventually."

The boy almost asked how he knew about the night before, but he answered his own question. _Mom told him. And speaking of Mom…_

"Should we wake Mom up?"

"I'll do it," his father grinned. "You get first pick at the pancakes."

"Okay!" Naruto had absolutely no problem with that.

"Just leave some for us, okay?" he chuckled as he left the kitchen.

Naruto stuck out his tongue and grabbed an extra pancake, just because.

_Hey,_ the boy thought as he tore into his breakfast. _These are really good! Maybe better than Mom's…_

He paused briefly in inhaling his food when his mother was coaxed out into the kitchen, looking half-asleep, thoroughly disgruntled, and borderline murderous.

_…I don't think I'll tell her that, though._

* * *

Hinata headed towards the village gates to meet with her team as dawn was breaking over the village. They had drawn a C-rank mission to deliver some expensive gifts from one noble to another and make sure that bandits didn't try to steal the packages. It would be their first mission without Kurenai-sensei and she was a bit nervous about it.

_Kurenai-sensei said that we shouldn't have a problem,_ she remembered as she walked. _We don't have to travel too far, and that region isn't supposed to have many rogues roaming it._ She nervously clutched at the straps of her backpack. _I hope that I didn't forget anything._

"Hey, Hinata!"

She paused and waited for Kiba and Akamaru to catch up with her.

"G-good m-morning, Kiba-kun, Akamaru-kun."

"Morning," the Inuzuka boy grinned wildly. "You excited?"

"A l-little," she squeaked as they continued on to the gates together. "M-mostly nervous."

"We'll do fine!" Kiba laughed. "Kurenai-sensei said so."

Hinata nodded timidly.

"It's going to be great!" the feral-looking boy declared. "Right Akamaru?"

The boy fell into a conversation with his shaggy puppy and Hinata retreated to her own thoughts as they walked together.

Her mind drifted onto the topic of Naruto, as it usually did when she had too much time to think. She had heard that he had returned the village and although she hadn't managed to catch a glimpse of him yet, she was glad. The harsh whispers that had surrounded his name were now gone with the Hokage back in office.

…But she was still troubled that there had ever been such nasty rumors about him in the first place.

_Maybe…maybe we read too much into that nasty gossip,_ she thought. She hoped. _People were upset, people were afraid…maybe they just wanted someone to blame. But why not just blame that Orochimaru person who led the attack on the village in the first place? Was it because the ANBU killed him that he wasn't a good scapegoat?_

Their team continued to try and find solid answers, but they weren't getting anywhere anymore. Kiba was bored with it, and she doubted that he was really trying anymore. Shino kept at it, because Aburame could be pretty relentless when they wanted to be. But Hinata wasn't sure what to do now.

_Should I just forget about it? Those rumors were all lies. There is no way that Naruto-kun would ever do terrible things like that. Naruto-kun is good. Does it really matter why people said such things? The rumors are gone now. It's over…_

"I don't believe that!"

Hinata and Kiba stopped short at the harsh declaration. It was rather early so there weren't too many people in the streets, but a few early risers were at a nearby fruit stand picking up some apples. One woman had apparently something to the other that she found…disagreeable.

"I heard it by the _Yamanaka Hana_ shop," the second lady shrugged. "Those people are ninjas. I think it has a chance of being true."

"That is impossible!" the first woman snapped. "That's a sick lie! I will never believe that that filthy monster has any blood tie to Hokage-sama. Our Yondaime-sama would never lie with that foreign whore…"

Hinata gaped at the women. _What are they talking about? What about Hokage-sama?_

"I don't know," the second woman muttered. "I think there's a resemblance—"

"A coincidence!" the first woman snarled. "Nothing more. That demon child—"

"Ladies, please!" the fruit stand owner interjected worriedly. "There are children present."

Both women turned to find Hinata and Kiba (and Akamaru) staring at them. Embarrassed, they made their purchases and hurried down the street. Once they were gone, Kiba started walking again and Hinata had to hurry a bit to keep pace.

_"Filthy monster", "demon child"… People seem to like calling Naruto-kun that._ Hinata nervously chewed her lip. _And Hokage-sama… What did that mean? Is it another cruel, baseless rumor?_

"K-Kiba-kun," Hinata squeaked.

"Shino's gonna love this," Kiba grumbled. "I bet he'll be muttering about it all through the mission."

Kiba had never really liked their investigation. He thought it was stupid. He didn't want to poke around in Naruto's business. As far as he was concerned, Naruto was a good guy and his friend, and nothing else mattered. All those nasty whispers they'd run across and the vandalism that they had learned of were untrue and meant nothing.

Shino's fixation on finding the root cause annoyed the heck out of Kiba.

_I hope they don't argue too much over this…_


	31. Weasel of the Leaf

**Chapter 30:** _  
Weasel of the Leaf_

Kushina sighed and massaged her aching forehead. For the past few days, she'd felt tired and grouchy and just _blah_. She hoped she wasn't coming down with something. She hated being sick.

_Maybe a vacation would help…_

It was hard to remember the last time she'd really had some time off. Not counting the rare times when she was too sick to work, it had to be back when she'd been on maternity leave before Naruto was born (after he was born, she was a full-time mom). That was a long time ago. And now that Minato was back to normal, he didn't necessarily need her around all the time…

_Lunch is coming up in an hour. I should—_

"Kushina-san!" a booming voice cried. "My Youthful flower!"

_…Oh crap._

She stiffly turned around to face Maito Gai's gleaming smile.

"Hello Gai, what can I do for you?"

"Kushina-san," the taijutsu master beamed. "Would you do me the great honor of accompanying me to lunch before I must depart for my next mission?"

"Thank you for the offer, Gai," she groaned, "but no."

The man's smile faded, but if he felt any despair over the rejection it didn't last long enough to show. "Kushina-san, always you refuse me and always you claim that it is not because of some fault with me, but there _must_ be some reason why! Please tell me, am I not Youthful enough? Not manly enough? Not—"

Kushina's shoulders slumped as Gai wound his way up into another one of his rambles. It was usually pretty easy to reject the men who hit on her as most of them were sleeze-bags or at least had issues with her son. But Gai had no problems with Naruto and, eccentricities aside, he was a pretty nice guy. She was always nicest when turning him down, which gave him a slender hope that he had a chance, which kept him coming back again and again…

"—and if that isn't enough I shall complete twenty-five laps around the village on my hands—"

"Gai," she interrupted. "Really, there's nothing wrong with you"_—actually there's __**a lot**__ wrong with you—_"I'm just not interested."

Maito Gai was not to be deterred. "But there must be something I can do that would prove my worth to you! I will—"

_I swear, if he keeps this up, I'm going to slug him…_

"Hey Kushina," Minato called out as he poked his head into the little side room she had appropriated into her office. "Could you…hello Gai-san."

"Hokage-sama," Gai saluted.

"…Did you need something, Gai-san?" Minato asked.

"I was merely seeking to spend some time with Kushina-san before I depart on my new mission," Gai responded.

_Make him leave!_ she mutely pleaded with her eyes. _He doesn't listen to me!_

"Gai-san," Minato sighed and beckoned the spandex ninja out into the hall. "Please come here for a minute."

"_Hai_!" Gai nodded and vanished from sight.

Kushina groaned and slumped down behind her little make-shift desk. _Please don't let him come back. Please, please, please. I don't need to make my headache worse._

After a few minutes of mumbled conversation, Gai peeked back into her office.

"Kushina-san, I apologize but I must be going. I need to meet with Tsunade-sama before I leave the village."

"Okay," she waved, "bye."

Gai's lip trembled and his eyes glittered as if he might cry, and then he withdrew.

Minato slipped back in after Gai vanished and cheerfully sat on a bare corner of the table that she used as her desk.

"What did you say to him?" she had to ask.

"I told him that, while he is a shining example of a Konoha shinobi, you saw me first," he replied.

She swatted at his arm. "No way! You didn't say that."

"Well, I paraphrased for you," he chuckled. "But I said something along those lines to him. I don't think he'll be pestering you for dates anymore."

"Oh, thank you," she sighed and hugged his arm. "Thank you, thank you, thank you…"

"You're welcome," he grinned. "…Do I get something special for this?"

"Minato!" she gasped, as though shocked. "It's the middle of the day!"

He flushed a bit in embarrassment. "I meant for later. When we're not in the office."

"Not in the office?" she repeated with a raised eyebrow. "Why not?"

He choked.

"Oh, don't tell me you've never fantasized about messing around in your office," she laughed.

He gaped at her, and then shifted his eyes to some mysteriously interesting spot on the floor. "Um…maybe…a little bit."

"I thought so," she grinned ferally. "So, what do you want to do?"

"…Should we really be talking about this with the door open?"

"Then close the door," she shrugged.

He shook his head, but did as she suggested. "I'd rather not talk about, because if I do then I won't be able to focus the rest of the day."

"Aw," she pouted. "But now _I'm_ not going to be able to focus all day because I'll be too busy trying to imagine the stuff that you want to do."

"Kushina…" he sighed.

She blinked innocently. "What?"

"Aren't you the least bit curious as to why I stopped by?"

"Oh, I suppose so," she muttered unenthusiastically.

"Do you still have tea with Mikoto-san this Friday?"

"Yes," Kushina nodded. "Why? You want me to tell her something?"

He reached into his pocket and retrieved a sealed note. "Pass this to her for me, would you?"

"Sure." She took the folded paper and tucked it away in her pocket. "This has to do with…_him_?"

Minato nodded. "Any preferences for lunch?"

"Anything so long as we get dango," she grinned.

"Okay," he chuckled. "Sounds good to me."

"Perfect." She lightly slapped him on the shoulder. "Now get back to work so we can get lunch sooner!"

* * *

Mikoto waited just outside the circle of light cast by the street lamp a few blocks away from the Hokage Tower. It was very late, and this part of the village felt completely deserted. She was glad that Sasuke had left on a C-rank mission that afternoon; she wouldn't have to make some excuse for why she was out so late.

Sensing a presence, she turned to find a masked ANBU arriving in a swirl of leaves. Without a word he beckoned to her and she followed. It was slow going with her lame leg, but if her guide cared (which she doubted that he did) he gave no sign of it.

Eventually they came to a non-descript building a few doors down from the equally non-descript-looking ANBU headquarters. Her guide brought her inside and led her through a confusing warren of hallways until she reached what she thought was the heart of the building. And waiting for her there was the Yondaime Hokage.

"Hokage-sama," she murmured and bowed respectfully to him. "You summoned me?"

It was an unusual summons. Earlier in the day, Uzumaki Kushina had come over for tea. The red-haired woman was much more animated than she had been in their first few little get-togethers. Now the Hokage's assistant dominated most conversations, sharing endless little office stories about how uptight the research department was or how crazy the people who worked in the decryption department were. But this time, as they'd parted, the Uzumaki woman had slipped her a note with no explanation.

Once she opened and read it, she had understood. The Hokage wanted to see her, and no one was to know about it. After she'd read and memorized the instructions, she burned it and swept away the ashes.

"Yes," the Hokage nodded. "I did." He studied her gravely for a long moment before opening a door on the other side of the room. "Please follow me."

The blonde man led her through more hallways, and down several floors. She was certain that she was being brought someplace by the most convoluted routed possible so that she wouldn't be able to remember the way later. She wouldn't be surprised if there was a genjutsu being employed as well to hide the location of where she was going.

Several floors down, well underground, the Hokage paused before a reinforced steel door. A pair of ANBU stood guard there, and he dismissed them with a wave of his hand. Then he carefully released the seals that locked the door.

"Mikoto-san, you know who is behind this door, don't you?"

"Itachi," she choked through a dry throat.

He nodded. "You have a half an hour to speak with him. Say whatever you like. Whether he responds or not is up to him. You may not touch him or harm him in any way. When you leave the room, I would like to know what you think should be done with him. I do not guarantee that I will do as you would like, but I will take your wishes into consideration. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"I'll wait outside," the Hokage murmured and yanked the door open.

The room on the other side was small and bare and lit only by a single light bulb that hung from the ceiling. There were two chairs: A plain wooden stool, and a metal chair with restraint cuffs on the armrests and chair legs. The stool was for her, she supposed. And the restraint chair bound Itachi.

Her elder son was blindfolded and she was sure that his chakra was blocked by seals. He was older than she'd last seen him; he looked older than he actually was. He looked thin and worn, and the clothes that he wore were tattered. Although he was bound, he sat stiff and upright.

The door groaned shut behind her.

"Itachi…"

He turned his head slightly towards her. "Hello, Mother."

The sound of his voice made her shiver. It made her think of that night. It made her think of his blank, pitiless face as she'd watched him slaughter his own father while she lay bleeding on the floor.

"Why?" she asked hoarsely, her eyes stinging and blurring.

_Why did you betray us? Why did you kill us? Why did you spare me? Why, Itachi, why?!_

"…You will have to be more specific, Mother," her son said blandly.

Mikoto numbly sank down onto the stool and struggled to get a hold of herself. She only had this one chance and half an hour to get answers. She couldn't fall apart now, no matter how much she wanted to.

"Why did you do it?" she managed to choke out at last. "I know that reason you gave was a lie."

"…I thought my reasons would be clear to you, Mother," he answered. "If father's plan had gone ahead, there would be no victory, only death and destruction. I may have been young when the last great ninja war happened, but I remember the dead bodies brought in through the village gates, the injuries, the funerals, the fears of attack and invasion, the tears of those left behind. Did you really want our clan to be responsible for returning the whole village to that miserable state?"

"How do you know that would happen?!" she protested. "If the Hokage could've been persuaded to step down voluntarily—"

"The rest of the village wouldn't stand for that," Itachi retorted. "The clans would rise up in rebellion."

"The Hokage was weak," she argued. "The clan only wanted to secure the village's safety."

"Why are you taking father's position?" he asked. "I know you were never comfortable with his desires and justifications."

"I…I just want to understand." She bit her lip until it nearly bled. "How could you kill your own family? Your own father?!"

"For peace, I will do what is necessary," he said with a slight shrug.

Tears leaked from her eyes. "But, your father…?"

"Did father ever really love us?" Itachi responded. "Or were we just tools to him?"

"Of course he loved us!"

Her son shook his head. "I think his obsession with proving the supremacy of our clan overshadowed everything else for him. Father never seemed pleased with me unless I was excelling. He ignored Sasuke almost completely until he began to worry about my reliability. He tried to use me as a spy in the ANBU. He manipulated Sasuke with his praise. …He led a conspiracy to commit treason." He frowned slightly. "I think of everyone, he was one of the easiest."

She wept quietly. As much as she wanted to deny it, she knew that Itachi was right. She was sure that Fugaku had loved her and their children, but he had been consumed with clan business and achieving his goals.

Fugaku had shown little interest in the boys until they started showing him that they had great promise as ninja. After Sasuke had been born, he hadn't been interested in having any other children even though she'd pleaded for a daughter. Even in the privacy of their own home—in the privacy of their own bedroom—he'd rarely relaxed and opened up to her. He'd always been lost in thought, in plans, and sometimes when he did show emotion she felt like it was just for show.

"…Why did you spare me?" Mikoto nearly whispered.

"Sasuke needed someone, the clan needed a new leader, and I knew that father's dreams made you uneasy so you would be unlikely to continue with his mistake." He hesitated for a moment. "I'm sorry about your leg, but part of my orders was to eliminate all active Uchiha ninja and those who might be able to return to the field. To spare you, I had to destroy your career."

"Why just me?" she demanded. "Why not save others that way?"

"One crippled survivor with the Sharingan could be overlooked," he answered. "More than one would not be."

Mikoto bowed her head and huddled in on herself.

"…Do you hate me, Mother?"

The question caught her off guard. Throughout their conversation, Itachi's voice had been even-toned, nearly emotionless. But with this question, he almost sounded sad, or worried.

It reminded her of happier times, before things had gone so wrong.

She looked up and studied his face. It looked blank, like it had so often in the weeks before…_it_ had happened. His eyes usually gave some hint to his feelings, but with the blindfold she was left in the dark.

"No," she said finally. "Most days I wish that I could hate you. But I can't. I could never truly hate you or Sasuke."

Itachi sat silently for a while, as if pondering her words. "It's not the same for the rest of the clan, is it?"

"No, it isn't," Mikoto sighed. "If any of the remaining clansmen knew that you were here, they'd bay for your blood until they were blue in the face. You've already been disowned and erased from clan records."

"Like cousin Obito," he muttered, as if to himself.

"Yes," she whispered.

"I wish cousin Obito hadn't died," Itachi remarked after a moment. "He was funny."

Mikoto didn't say anything in response to that.

"Was that all you wanted, Mother?" he asked politely.

It wasn't, but she was aware that her time limit was fast approaching, so she quickly whittled things down to one question.

"The clan's punishment doesn't seem like anything that Hokage-sama would formulate on his own; it falls more in line with what Danzou would do. Except Danzou would never allow survivors. Who made it so that you could spare some of us?"

"…I don't know for certain," he replied. "But I would guess that it was the influence of his assistant, Uzumaki Kushina. Any ANBU who served enough rounds on the Hokage's protection detail knows that he keeps no secrets from her."

It was a surprising answer. And yet it wasn't. The red-haired woman had always been at the Hokage's side, and if anything she was even closer to him now after he'd recovered from the disastrous Chuunin Exams.

The door groaned open, signaling the end of their chat. Mikoto stood up from her stool and rubbed at her wet eyes. She reached out to touch Itachi's had, but stopped when she remembered that she'd been forbidden from physical contact.

"Good bye, Mother," Itachi said softly.

"Good bye, Itachi," she whispered, tearing up once more because she knew she'd probably never see him alive again.

She left the room and the Hokage sealed door again, locking her oldest son away from her sight.

"What would the Uchiha clan want done with him?" the Yondaime asked softly.

"They would want him killed," Mikoto answered numbly. "They will never forgive him."

"…What is it that _you_ want?"

"If he is spared, he can never go home," she responded. "If he ever fathers children, the clan will never accept them. But…if he ever for some reason has children, and sends them to the village…I will make arrangements for them." _I'll find some way. The clan can't be choosy. There just aren't enough of us left…_

"Alright," the Hokage nodded and gestured one of his ANBU forward. "Frog will escort you out. Go home and tell no one about this meeting or anything that Itachi told you—this is all an S-class secret."

"_Hai_, Hokage-sama," she bowed and followed her new guide out of the building like a robot.

_It was her, then. Uzumaki Kushina-san is the hand of mercy of the Uchiha clan. The woman who Fugaku distrusted so, kept us from being annihilated. How ironic…_

_My poor husband is probably rolling in his grave right now at the knowledge of the Uchiha clan owing her anything._

After exiting the building, she navigated back to the Uchiha district on autopilot.

She was glad that Sasuke was away on a mission. She wouldn't have to explain to him where she'd gone so late, and she wouldn't have explain why she'd come back crying. Hopefully she would run through all her tears before he came home.

_Sasuke must never know…_


	32. Eye of the Moon God

**Chapter 31:** _  
Eye of the Moon God_

_This is seriously a C-rank mission?_

A farmer had sent his sons to go buy some new cows, but in the process one had broken his leg and the other had gotten sick. They'd bought the cows, but were in no shape to guide them to their father's farm. Essentially, Team 7's job was…to herd cows.

The first day hadn't been so bad. With his _Kage Bunshin_, the cows were pretty easy to herd; Sakura and Sasuke barely had anything to do. But then it had started to pour rain and the traveling had gotten miserable and muddy.

Cows were also slow. They didn't like running, and couldn't climb trees and travel like ninja could. That meant that they had to travel at the same speed as the cows. It made what had looked like a two-day job into a week-long job at the shortest.

_I don't think I like cows,_ Naruto decided as he watched the ten animals under their care graze in a grassy forest clearing. _They really stink…_

It was day two of their trek and the rain from the day before had stopped, but the ground was still muddy and sticky. All of the cows had gotten stuck at least once in various mud holes and it had been a real pain to un-stick them. Now it was evening and they'd barely gotten half as far as they'd wanted for the day.

_Stupid, heavy cows,_ he glowered. _I almost wish that wolves would try to eat them, or thieves would try to steal them. Then we'd have something interesting to do…_

"Kakashi-sensei was lucky to be busy and miss this mission," Sakura groaned as she took in the mud stains on her sandals and dress. "I feel disgusting."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted as he poked at the campfire that he'd started for them.

"I want the first watch," Naruto muttered as he scraped a heavy glob of mud off his sandal.

"I'll take early morning," Sakura volunteered.

Sasuke said nothing, mutely agreeing to guard the cows through the middle watch of the night.

Naruto dug around in his pack and pulled out some bland field rations for his dinner. "I wonder what Mom did today…"

That was the downside to leaving the village on missions. He couldn't talk to his mother everyday and know what interesting thing he missed while he was off training or performing a D-rank. He was used to always being able to talk with her (or Yondy-sama) whenever he wanted and know what she was up to.

"I'm sure that she does the same thing that she always does," Sakura shrugged as she unrolled her bedroll and peeled off her mud-encrusted sandals. "You know, paperwork and stuff."

"Lots of crazy stuff happens there all the time," Naruto informed her. "Like chakra-powered paper airplane contests, or who stole so-and-so's lunch from the fridge, or what kind of stuff Yondy-sama's admirers sent today, or…"

"What kinds of things do Hokage-sama's admirers send?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Usually it's some kind of cookie or candy or flower, but I think he's gotten just about everything." Naruto gulped down some water. "Brownies, fruit baskets, pictures, letters, underwear—"

"Underwear?" Sasuke muttered.

"Yeah." Naruto wrinkled his nose. "That frilly, lacy, see-through stuff that girls wear to seduce guys. They send it to him with letters that say stuff like: 'Bring this to my place and I'll model it for you'."

The Uchiha shuddered. "And I thought _my_ fangirls were crazy…"

"Yondy-sama's are worse," Naruto said. "You just don't see them that much because they're mostly civilian and they can't get through all the ninja in the Tower to reach him."

"Does he have kunoichi fans?" Sakura hesitantly asked.

"A few," Naruto nodded. "Anko's the worst."

"Anko…" Sakura repeated. "Have we met her?"

"She was the proctor of the second part of the Chuunin Exams," Naruto grimaced. "She sends him creepy love letters with her Summon snakes when she doesn't show up and bug him in person." He shivered. "She calls me 'Chibi' and always goes on about how she wants to eat me up…and I think she means that literally."

"…I kind of wondered why you hid under your desk when she made her dramatic entry after the fake written test." Sasuke remarked.

"Shut up," Naruto glared. "You never had to worry about running into her growing up."

"Hn," Sasuke snorted and poked at the fire again. "The cows are wandering off."

"Eh?!" Naruto whipped around to check the cows…and found that all ten where still where they'd left them. A few of them were even laying down and doing that nasty chewing-their-cud thing. "You're a jerk, Teme."

"Hn," the dark-haired boy grunted with a faint smirk. And then Sasuke surprisingly took the initiative to say something else. "Today's Friday…so your mom probably came over to my house to have tea with my mom."

"Eh?" Naruto blinked. "Why would she do that?"

"I dunno," Sasuke muttered. "She started doing that while you were away looking for Tsunade."

"Oh." The blonde's shoulders slumped. "…Did I miss anything else while I was gone?"

Sasuke shrugged carelessly.

"I don't know of anything," Sakura yawned. "I'm going to sleep."

Sasuke wordlessly went about joining Sakura in hitting the hay.

Naruto pouted as he banked the campfire. He couldn't sleep yet because he had stay up and watch the cows. But then he remembered something.

"Hey, Sasuke!"

The Uchiha glared up at him from his bedroll.

"You remember when you asked about my dad? Well, I asked for you."

Naruto had meant to bring it up earlier, but he'd been distracted when they'd drawn a C-rank mission instead of another D-rank. Then there had been the cows and the rain and complaining how awful it was. And then there was the mud today and the cows being stupid. But now was a good time to get that question answered before he forgot about it again.

"You had to ask about your own father?" Sakura asked from the other side of the small fire. "Your mom didn't tell you about him already?"

"No," Naruto sighed. "But, Sasuke, I know now so—"

"That's great," Sasuke grumbled. "Now let me sleep, or you'll take my watch too."

"But I thought you wanted to know," Naruto pouted.

"It was just a random question that struck me that day," the Uchiha growled and rolled over. "I'm not _dying_ to know. I can wait until some other time when I'm not trying to sleep to find out."

"You can tell me if you want," Sakura offered, a spark of curiosity in her green eyes.

"I was going to make Sasuke guess who he is," Naruto huffed and glared at the spiky back of Sasuke's head.

"I don't care that much," Sasuke muttered into the darkness. "And don't you mean 'was'?"

Naruto grinned broadly. "Nah, it's 'is'; he's not dead."

"So he's estranged from your family?" Sakura wondered.

"Huh?" Naruto scratched at his head. "What does that mean?"

"It means that, for some reason, he doesn't live with you or have any contact with you," the girl explained.

Naruto glanced over at the nearby cows, idly counting them to make sure none had wandered off. "Oh."

"…So are you going to tell us about him, or should we go to sleep?" Sakura asked tiredly.

"It'd be more fun if you guessed, but…okay." Naruto got up and stretched as he eyed a bare branch that would make a great look-out point for taking watch. "The Hokage is my father."

"Eh?!" Sakura yelped. "No way!"

Naruto barely paid attention to Sakura's reaction. He was more interested in seeing how Sasuke would take it. When they'd been in the Academy together, Sasuke had always acted like he was better than everyone else because he was an Uchiha. And he'd never been at all impressed with Naruto, who was an Uzumaki…and whoever had heard of _that_ family? While he'd much rather get Sasuke's respect through skill, he wouldn't mind getting a little bit through lineage.

Sasuke kept his back to the fire, his expression hidden in the shadows. He didn't move or speak or show any sign that he'd heard what Naruto had said. Naruto was beginning to think that Sasuke had fallen asleep.

"Hn," he grunted. "Whatever. I'm going to sleep."

Grinding his teeth, Naruto turned and leapt up to the branch so he could start his watch.

It was always the same. No matter what he did or said, Sasuke was never impressed. It looked like things might have been changing during the Chuunin Exams; Sasuke had been looking forward to fighting him, something he'd never done before. But now it was like nothing had changed at all. No surprise, no interest, just disinterest and disbelief—the same he'd always gotten whenever Naruto had tried to brag about anything.

_Stupid teme…_ One of their hoofed, cud-chewing charges made a low groaning sound and Naruto glared at it. _Stupid cows…_

* * *

Mikoto ventured out of her home on Sunday intent on clearing her head. She was glad that Sasuke's C-rank was running longer than he'd anticipated. When she heard that he was going to be driving cows, she knew that his time estimate was off, but didn't do more than warn him to pack more rations. This mission was relatively painless one, and it would improve his time-estimation skills if nothing else.

She decided to go to the _Yamanaka Hana_ shop and buy some flowers to offer at the clan shrine. It had been a while since she'd paid her respects to the dead. After her encounter with her eldest son, it would be soothing.

In no particular hurry, she walked along the selection of cut flowers and took her time deciding which ones she wanted to purchase. There were a few other shoppers in the store, all of them women and all of them engaging in gossip. Mikoto barely listened, until something caught her ear.

"…I'm just telling you what my husband told me," Yamanaka Ren, Inoichi's pretty civilian wife, said quietly to a patron she was apparently helping put together a bouquet.

"I don't believe it," the woman replied sharply. "Your husband must be mistaken."

"Inoichi seemed very certain," Ren murmured. "I don't want to believe it either. It's just so horrible."

"I bet that horrid foreign woman made up that rumor herself," the patron sniffed. "She probably _wishes_ that she could be with Hokage-sama…the red-haired harlot."

Mikoto gave up all pretenses of perusing flowers and homed in on the two women. "What rumor are we talking about?"

"Mikoto-san, hi!" Ren greeted cheerfully. "We were talking about something that Inoichi told me a few days ago."

She had met Inoichi's wife a few times, both in and out of the flower shop. She was a beautiful blonde, the clear source of young Ino's good looks. The woman seemed rather flighty and shallow, always spreading around gossip and worrying about fashion and flowers. But Inoichi had liked her enough to marry her and be faithful to her, so she had to be something special.

"And what story is that?" Mikoto inquired.

"Inoichi told me that he was sure that the Hokage has a very…intimate…relationship with his secretary, and that her son is also _his_ son," Ren happily informed her.

Mikoto stiffened at that. She turned it over in her mind, recalling Uzumaki Kushina's loyalty to the Hokage, and the strange incident where the Hokage had shown up at her home to find his assistant in person. And then she thought on her son's team photo (she had studied it with her Sharingan to burn the image into her memory with perfect clarity) and the face of the blonde boy that was also in the frame. Remove the whiskers and…

"That story has no basis," the other woman insisted. "Hokage-sama would never touch that woman. One day he'll settle for a proper lady."

"I think it is true," Mikoto remarked, and went about gathering up the usual flowers that she purchased. _Her loyalty to him was not just servant to master, but wife to husband… I see that now.  
_

"Uchiha-sama!" the woman, an obvious civilian sputtered. "How can you say that? That woman is a disgrace! She sacrificed her baby to a demon!"

"Watch your words; that topic is forbidden," Mikoto warned coolly. "You ought to be grateful to her. If she hadn't volunteered, Sandaime-sama would've had to pick a child and take it by force. Maybe he would've picked your baby."

The civilian woman looked livid, but held herself back, probably to avoid crossing the line and directly speaking of the Kyuubi's fate. "She is not a proper lady," she hissed. "Hokage-sama can do much better than her. He deserves better."

"That is not for you to decide," Mikoto replied simply. She brought a bunch of flowers to Inoichi's wife. "I'll take these, Ren-san."

"Alright," Ren smiled nervously and gestured towards the cash register. "This way please."

Mikoto gladly left the bitter civilian woman behind. With how unpopular Uzumaki Naruto was, and how disliked his mother was simply for being his mother and loving him, it really wasn't much of a surprise that such information about her was received with such disbelief and scorn. Sadly, it wasn't likely to get better anytime soon, probably not even if the two of them married.

_I will have to ask Kushina-san about this next Friday…_

* * *

Sasuke perched up in a tree and idly fiddled with a kunai as he watched his teammates sleep. He didn't have to worry about the cows anymore. They had been successfully delivered to their new farm and now all he and his team had to do was get back to the village and get paid. If things went well, they would be at the village gates by tomorrow evening, exactly one week after they'd left to play ninja cowherds.

This mission had been one big headache. First there had been the wretched weather the first few days with rain and then mud. And then Naruto's little revelation had gotten Sakura all riled up. She spent the rest of the mission pestering the blonde about all sorts of details of his parents' relationship. How had they met? How did they fall in love? How was their relationship? Naruto had no idea, and didn't really care, so Sakura's questions were left unanswered and she usually ended up hitting him out of frustration.

It all gave him a migraine and made him want to stab something.

_Soon it'll all be over,_ he thought in relief. _No more cows. No more dried field rations. No more annoying questions. No more whining "I don't know!". No more yelling and hitting. _

Unlike his pink-haired teammate, he wasn't so wildly enthused by Naruto's newly revealed paternity. He was skeptical. Sure, there was an uncanny resemblance, but if it was true why didn't anyone know about it? Why didn't Naruto and his mother live with the Hokage? Why did people dare to vandalize their apartment and spread such vicious rumors?

Everyone who knew of Sarutobi Konohamaru knew that he was the grandson of the late Sandaime Hokage. Everyone who knew that Asuma's family name was Sarutobi quickly caught on that he was the son (or some close relation) of the late Sandaime. Both were respected accordingly.

But Naruto was unknown and unacknowledged as relating to anyone important. If he was the son of the Yondaime, why was he swept under the rug like something shameful? It didn't make any sense.

_If he was the Hokage's son, I'd have known about it a long time ago,_ he brooded as he kept an ear out for intruders that might harm his comrades. _But why would his mom tell him this if it wasn't true? Kushina-san seems pretty crazy, but I don't think she's a liar…_

There was the fluttering of feathered wings, and a crow landed on a branch by his head. Sasuke eyed it warily; crows were daylight birds and rarely moved around in the dead of night. The bird stared at him…with red eyes.

…_Sharingan?!_

The crow cawed and abruptly took off. Sasuke gave chase after it without a second thought. Only he and his mother had awakened Sharingan eyes…and _Itachi_. All the other Uchiha who had awakened their _kekkei_ _genkai_ were dead.

The bird led him far from his team's camp, to a clearing lit by the nearly full moon. And then it just dissolved into thin air. Alarmed, Sasuke summoned his Sharingan, wary for illusions and other more direct attacks.

"Foolish little brother…"

Sasuke jumped and tensed as his murderous brother seemed to materialize out of the darkness and strolled casually into the moonlight.

"…You abandon your teammates so easily?"

"Itachi!" Sasuke hissed the name like a curse.

He remembered that night. He'd stayed late at the Academy, obsessively practicing his shuriken throwing in the hopes of impressing his father and gaining a sliver of praise. He'd stayed so late that he'd surely be late for dinner and he was frightened that his lateness would ruin his chances of getting a smile from his father.

At first, he'd felt like someone was watching him, but when he looked there was no one there. Then he noticed that none of the lights were on in the houses of the district, and it was far too early for that. And then he'd stumbled over one of his aunts in the street, weeping over the bloody corpse of her husband.

Terrified, he'd run all the way to his house. No one seemed to be home; no one answered his calls. After checking the whole house, he came to their little private dojo…and found his father slain and his mother drifting towards unconsciousness, whispering: _"Why…Itachi, why?"_

It was like that all over the Uchiha District as he frantically searched for help. Wives cried over their husbands and sons and sometimes their daughters too. Grandparents mourned the corpses of their children. And kids his age huddled in corners, sobbing or dry-eyed but always terrified. Finally one of the grandmothers slapped his face and ordered him to run to the hospital and get help.

He would never forget that nightmarish night. He _could_ never forget it. And he would never, ever forgive Itachi for it.

Sasuke crouched down and formed hand seals with shaking fingers. Lightning crackled in his fist with the sound of a thousand chirping birds. And then he charged, heart pounding and Sharingan spinning.

He'd sworn that he'd kill his brother and avenge his clan and here was his chance.

Itachi didn't so much as twitch. He looked almost bored as he watched his younger sibling approach through red spinning eyes. And just as Sasuke was about to skewer him with his _Chidori_, his older brother easily caught his wrist and twisted it until the attack sputtered and dissipated.

"Always so foolish," Itachi sighed, as if disappointed.

Then the three _tomoe_ in Itachi's eyes changed. They melted into the pupil and formed into a strange, three-pronged shape. And then it felt like Itachi's left eye swallowed him.

* * *

_The world around him was strange. It was like a black-and-white photo negative that was stained red. The night sky was especially strange; the white stars were now black pin dots, the pale moon a black hole, and the black sky was a pale reddish-gray. Itachi wasn't holding him by the wrist anymore and stood several yards away, like Sasuke had never charged at him with a lightning-shrouded fist._

_"What…?" Sasuke floundered, lost and confused._

_"This is _Tsukuyomi, _Sasuke," Itachi explained. "Here, I control space and time. I may do whatever I wish to you for up to three days…and when it is over, only a second will have passed."_

_"A genjutsu," Sasuke breathed. "But…I have the Sharingan! I should be able to see through this!"_

_"Only a true master of the Sharingan could escape from this illusion," Itachi replied. "You are not strong enough, foolish brother."_

_Sasuke snarled and formed another _Chidori._ He charged again…only to pass right through Itachi without having any effect. He tried again and again, and then shifted to fire attacks, but nothing hit him or hurt him._

_And then crows boiled out of the trees. Sasuke tried to get rid of them, but they flew through his fire like it was an illusion. Then they were on him, pecking him, scratched him, buffeting him with their black wings. He tried to physically hit them, but it was like punching stones—he only hurt himself and the birds were unaffected. His arms and face were soon bleeding and all he could do was cower on the ground to try and protect his precious eyes._

_Then it stopped. The birds were gone as if they had never existed. When he cautiously peeked up from the ground, he found that all the injuries that the birds had given him were gone, too._

_"How…?"_

_"I told you already," Itachi replied calmly. "I control space and time here. If I so chose to, I could kill you and revive over and over until I decided to release you. I can torment you here until your mind completely breaks and you truly die."_

_Sasuke recoiled. And then he ran. He wasn't being a coward. Not entirely. If he could disappear into the forest, he could get away from Itachi's unnerving stare and maybe make some plans._

_But no matter which direction he ran, he always ended up in the same clearing where Itachi stood unmoving._

_And then, after what felt like hours of running away without success, chains erupted from the ground and bound him in place…right in front of Itachi._

_"Let me go!"_

_Sasuke had meant for his voice to sound angry, but it came out weak and pathetic and pleading._

_"…What do you think of me, Sasuke?" Itachi asked._

_"You're a monster!" Sasuke cried. "I hate you!"_

_"Do you wish to kill me?"_

_"Yes!" Sasuke yelled. "You killed Dad! You hurt Mom! I'll never forgive you!"_

_"Foolish little brother," Itachi sighed deeply. "There are people out there more terrible than me. One such person taught me how to kill our family."_

_Sasuke stilled, horrified and confused. "What?"_

_"He is an avenger who hates the Uchiha and hates the village of Konoha," Itachi continued. "He sent the Kyuubi to destroy everything."_

_The younger Uchiha tried to ask what he'd meant, but Itachi dissolved into a flurry of crows._

_And then the forest around him changed. The trees were filled with fearful yells and strained orders. Shadowy figures of ninja darted all around him, oblivious to his chained form. A hiss that blossomed into a roar made the air around him shake._

_A massive black shape loomed over him, blocking out the moonlight. It was a giant beast with a twisting mass of tails. With the casual swipe of one paw, it flattened a score of trees and the few unfortunate ninja still in those trees were crushed._

_It was the nine-tailed fox._

_Suddenly Sasuke was high above the trees, still chained, still forced to watch. The demon strolled through the trees, occasionally lashing out at the ninja that harried it, but otherwise ignoring them. It walked unerringly in one direction—towards Konoha._

_The scene went on and on, with Sasuke being shifted from perspective to perspective. Sometimes he was high above the losing battle, sometimes he was in the thick of the ninja lines. He watched as plans of attack were formulated, only for the demon to smash them before they even got off the ground. Sometimes the fox even lashed out at attacks that it surely couldn't have seen. It was like it could see the future._

_And then he noticed the man. A stranger dressed in black, wearing a mask that only had one eye-hole. He faded in and out of the shadows, as if he wasn't even really there. And every time he made a gesture with his hand, the fox would do something unexpected._

_It was like watching a puppeteer animate a marionette._

_"That man…is controlling the Kyuubi?"_

_Sasuke was in the sky again, watching things play out beneath him. A massive toad with a pipe appeared before the giant fox—the same toad that Naruto had summoned to fight Gaara. On its head stood two figures—a tall white-haired man, and a shorter elderly-looking man. The fox lunged forward…but froze as there was a flash of light. The demon stood frozen for a while, before abruptly crying out, collapsing, and dissolving into dust. When the light cleared, the older man on top of the toad had also collapsed and lay still. The white-haired man was crouched over him and might've been weeping, but Sasuke was too far away to see._

_"How can I be seeing this?" Sasuke wondered. "Itachi was barely five when this happened. He wouldn't have been out here fighting."_

_"I heard enough about the battle to imagine it for you," Itachi's voice replied._

_When Sasuke blinked, he was back in the clearing, no longer trussed up in chains. Itachi was standing before him. It was like the whole vast battle scene had never happened._

_"There are people out there more terrible and powerful than I am," Itachi warned him. "One day you may be strong enough to kill me, but will you become strong enough to kill him?"_

_Could he become strong enough to kill this mystery man in a mask? A man with the power and will to control the nine-tailed fox like it was a toy? Sasuke didn't think so. Killing Itachi alone was a daunting enough task._

_"…I don't think so."_

_Itachi was suddenly right in front of him, mere inches away._

_"That is the wrong answer my foolish little brother."_

_The elder Uchiha raised his hand and then jabbed Sasuke in the forehead with two fingers, the way he'd always used to._

_"Sleep now, Sasuke," he commanded. "It seems that you are not worth my time after all…"_

* * *

Itachi caught his younger brother's body as the genin collapsed. He had only exposed Sasuke to about a day's worth of time within the _Tsukuyomi_ illusion, so he would recover in a day or two. With a weary sigh, he slung his sibling over his shoulder and returned him to his camp.

Utilizing a simple genjutsu and _henge_, Itachi impersonated his brother and persuaded the pink-haired girl that it was her turn to take watch. While she was waking herself up and getting into position, he put Sasuke to bed and withdrew. She never noticed that anything was amiss.

His visit done, Itachi headed for a remote corner of _Hi no Kuni_. The Hokage had released him a few days before by removing the chakra seals and giving him a route with minimal security to escape through. He was to disappear into a small rural village, send a coded message with his location, and wait until he was summoned again, if he ever was.

For saving the Yondaime's life, sabotaging the Akatsuki, and providing vital information on the criminal organization's plans and members, he had been given a few rewards. He was not executed as the secret scapegoat for the Uchiha massacre, and instead released into exile and perhaps future service to the village. He had been given the chance to speak to his mother. And he had been given the opportunity to speak to his brother.

The Hokage had restricted him from revealing Madara's identity to his mother and brother, and the true fate of the demon from his brother. He had also been warned against harming Sasuke if he encountered him on his flight from the village. It was a pointless warning; Itachi had no intention of hurting his brother.

Sasuke needed a reason to get stronger. Much stronger. And Itachi aimed to give him one. He'd thought about pushing his brother harder, but hopefully he'd done enough damage to the Akatsuki that Sasuke would have plenty of time to build his strength and skills.

_I can't kill Madara on my own,_ Itachi knew. _If he is ever to be stopped, we all must get stronger. I'm sure that Sasuke can do it, he just needs a push._

_Madara won't stop until he dies; he is an avenger after all…_


	33. Backlash

**Chapter 32:** _  
Backlash_

Danzou sat in his underground office and brooded. As if his plots and ambitions hadn't unraveled enough, there was a new unfortunate complication. The paternity of the Kyuubi host had come out, and it put his hopes of gaining control over the boy and possibly eliminating the mother even further out of reach.

_So…the Kyuubi is Namikaze's long hidden son._

The village was buzzing with talk that the Hokage had had some kind of relationship (married, dating, fling, one-night stand—it varied from teller to teller) with his red-haired assistant and fathered the fox-boy. Most of the gossipers didn't want to believe it, even as they continued to pass it along, because it spelled the doom of countless women's dreams to become the handsome Hokage's wife. And no one wanted to believe that the child that they'd shunned, feared, and hated for so long was actually the heir of their greatest hero.

None of that particularly concerned Danzou. What did was that, as the Hokage's son, his ability to possibly influence the boy was destroyed. And it ensured that he would never be able to oust the Uzumaki woman from the Hokage's side. If he dared slander her again, the Yondaime would come after him. If he tried to assassinate her, he was certain that Namikaze would come for him personally. That woman and her son were effectively removed from any sort of reach for the foreseeable future.

_Perhaps I should've used this in the early days,_ he thought darkly, his fingers brushing up against the bandages that covered his eye. _I should've done it before she resurfaced in his life, or before she reestablished herself in his circle. I was too conservative in my reactions…_

_…I underestimated her._

It was a bitter admission to make. Even if it was only to himself. A loud, stupid, brash woman a fraction of his age had disrupted his plans several times. She probably wasn't aware of half the damage that she'd done.

His hand fell from his face—away from the bandages that shrouded his most secret of weapons.

If anyone even suspected that he had acquired such an eye (not to mention the arm he had hidden away in stasis for later attachment), his life was in grave danger. The Uchiha clan had thrown a terrible fit when Hatake had received a Sharingan eye, and even though they were reduced to near impotence they would not allow another such transfer. And because he was regarded with suspicion by the other clans, they would probably side with the Uchiha if they ever found out.

While he had connections, he knew his position was somewhat tenuous. If a concentrated effort was launched against him, he wouldn't last. It would only be safe to use that eye when he had gained powerful, unwavering protection, or gained the office of Hokage himself. And so he had not played that card, kept it hidden, and relied on more traditional and subtle methods of manipulation.

_I should've taken the risk of discovery,_ he thought sourly. _But it's too late for that now. The window of opportunity for using the Sharingan eye is long past._

He tried to remind himself that new opportunities arrived every day, and that there were still many ways that he could achieve his aims…but that comfort felt more and more hollow with each new wrinkle that snarled his current plots.

_I should never have allowed Namikaze to rise as the next Fire Shadow…_

* * *

Minato sighed and rubbed at his eyes to try and keep the characters on the paperwork he was reviewing from wavering and blurring.

_This has got to be the worst part of the job…right next to sending people off on suicide missions and suffering through Council meetings._

Shaking his head, he stamped his approval on the document, moved it to the "out box", and pulled a new form from the "in box". He started to skim it—

_"Hey…hey wait where are you—you can't go in there!"_

Minato looked up at the door to his office with a puzzled frown just in time for it to swing open to reveal a tight-lipped woman with bleached blonde hair and a manila envelope tucked under one arm. She was obviously a civilian, wearing a fine deep blue dress and several very expensive pieces of jewelry. Her dark green eyes glittered with determination as she strode into the office, completely ignoring Kushina's shouts from behind her.

He blinked slowly. …_What is this?_

"Hey!" Kushina snarled, peering around the doorframe. "Are you deaf?!"

"Hokage-sama," the woman greeted with a forced smile. "My dear husband has this brilliant proposal for a new building, and all it needs is your approval. I thought I'd deliver it personally."

"…Excuse me, Miss, but who are you?" he asked slowly.

"Kuroken Chihiro," she answered, her smile tighter than ever. "Before I married my dear husband, my name was Akanami Chihiro."

"Oh." And then it clicked. "_Oh._" _Oh kami no…_

She'd been in his class back in the Academy, but never made ninja. She'd been one of his most persistent and clingy fans, pursuing him all throughout his childhood and teen years. Once she'd had a rather nice shade of light brown hair, but she'd decided that she'd look better with him "her future husband" with blonde hair, so she'd started bleaching it. And even though she'd apparently settled for another man now, she was still bleaching it.

"Good morning, Chihiro-san," he stiffly replied. _She has a husband now, so maybe this won't be so bad…_

"Good morning, Hokage-sama," Chihiro purred, her smile no longer forced. "It's _so_ good to see you well again."

…_Okay, maybe it __**will **__be so bad._

"Can I kick her out?" Kushina asked bluntly.

"Not just yet," he replied and turned his focus to the intruder in his office. "Chihiro-san, your husband's proposal, like all other paperwork submitted to this office, needs to be turned in at the appropriate desk on the ground floor. I can't take that directly from you; it needs to be processed first. And you should have heeded my assistant's warnings. I am in the middle of going through _processed_ paperwork and am not open for appointments at this time."

"I can't just give this to you?" Chihiro pouted and fingered the large envelope. "Really?"

"Really," he nodded. "Now if you'll follow Kushina, she can show you where you need to turn that in."

The artificial blonde turned to Kushina, as if just noticing her presence and shoved the envelope into her hands. "Run along and turn that in for me, would you?" she muttered with a dismissive wave.

"Excuse me?" Kushina growled.

"You don't seem to have a very smart secretary," Chihiro remarked to him, like Kushina had magically vanished from the room. "I think you should get a new one."

"Chihiro-san," he frowned sternly. "You can either follow Kushina out, or I will have one of my ANBU escort you out."

His old classmate immediately shifted from the haughty wife of a wealthy man, to a humble, watery-eyed woman. "Hokage-sama," she pleaded. "I brought my husband's proposal directly to you as an excuse to talk with you. I have a question that's been bothering me and I _promise_ it won't take more than five minutes of your time to clear up."

Minato sighed deeply and tried to will back the beginnings of a headache. He set aside his stamp, ink pad, and pen, and stood up. He shot a fuming Kushina an apologetic look.

"Kushina, could you please take that envelope to the proper department?" he asked. "I'll escort Chihiro-san out." He gave his uninvited guest a disapproving look, which she seemed oblivious to. "You can ask me your question as we walk, Chihiro-san. And next time if you need to speak with me, please make an appointment with Kushina otherwise you will not be allowed in."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" Chihiro squealed.

Kushina shuddered and stalked out of the office without a word.

Minato grimaced and gestured for his former classmate to follow him. She walked alongside him and repeatedly tried to hang on his arm as he navigated the Tower hallways. His patience quickly wore very thin.

"Chihiro-san, please stop clinging to my arm. I don't think that your husband would appreciate your behavior," the Hokage muttered.

"Oh, he won't mind," she giggled, and tried again to attach herself to him.

"What is it that you wanted to ask me?" he demanded.

Chihiro sighed. "Well, I heard this absolutely _disgusting_ rumor, and I need it dispelled."

"You intruded on my office because of a _rumor_?" Minato scowled.

"It's slander!" she gasped, wide-eyed. "It impinges on your honor!"

He stared at her for a moment before shaking his head and starting down the stairs. "What is this rumor?"

"It claims that you had an affair with the mother of…_that_ _boy_…you know." She frowned. "I wish you hadn't made that decree about not speaking about…_that_. It would be so much easier to talk about it."

"I wish I hadn't _had_ to make that decree," Minato responded.

Chihiro huffed. "Well, I know that rumor can't be true, because you would never have anything to do with a terrible woman like that." She laughed like the idea was absurd. "I mean, what woman would do something so horrible to her baby?"

He stopped just shy of the ground floor and gave her a hard stare. "Yes, I am in a relationship with Uzumaki Kushina, Uzumaki Naruto's mother. She is a very good woman and mother. And I would appreciate it if you would stop insulting her."

The well-dressed woman resembled a koi fish with the way that her mouth was opening and closing without making a sound.

The Hokage took her by the shoulder and guided her the rest of the way to the ground floor and the exit. After gently shoving the still floundering woman out the door, he returned to his office. Before getting back to his paperwork, he summoned one of his ANBU to him.

"Make sure that Kuroken Chihiro never is allowed inside the Tower again," he instructed.

The masked ninja bowed and departed to spread the order.

Minato then sighed and collapsed into his nice chair. He'd known that giving Inoichi that clue could, and probably would, lead to a public backlash. Even if Kushina had been born in Konoha, and Naruto didn't contain the fox, there would probably have been ugly whispers against her. It was unfortunately the price of his fame and prominent position. People wanted to be close to him and connected to him, and they were jealous of those who were.

He hated it.

_It's a pity that I can't just make a decree that the village has to like Kushina and Naruto…_

Shaking his head in despair, he tried to reapply himself to his paperwork…with limited success.

_…I think after dinner, I'll go out and destroy some training posts._

* * *

Naruto jogged over the rooftops, heading for the Hokage Tower. Behind him ran Sakura and Sasuke. They should have reached the village yesterday, but because of Sasuke they hadn't, and now it was Friday.

_If the Teme is right, Mom will have tea with his mom today…_

"Sasuke-kun, are you _sure_ that you're alright?" Sakura asked with great concern. "We could stop by the hospital before we report in, or after—"

"I _said_ that I'm _fine_," Sasuke growled.

It was weird. Wednesday night he'd gone through is whole midnight watch without incident, but in the morning he hadn't woken up. It was almost Thursday night when he awoke, as if he'd just broken free from a nightmare. He refused to give them any explanation, merely insisting that he was fine.

"Yeah," Naruto snorted. "Sasuke's the same as he always is—just as bastard-y as ever."

"Naruto!" Sakura snapped.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted.

"What?" Naruto shouted over his shoulder. "It's not like Sasuke-teme ever denies that he's a jerk."

"Na-ru-to!" Sakura snarled.

Naruto picked up the pace a bit, just in case Sakura decided to hit him, and he soon reached the open square in front of the Tower where the roofs ended and the only way to continue was at ground level. He kept up the fast pace, intending to wait for his teammates at the door to the Hokage's office. But he was stopped short at the front doors of the building by an odd scene.

A blonde woman in a black dress was trying to get in, but the ANBU were blocking her. She had a glittering ring in just about every finger, large sparkly earrings, and a heavy gold necklace. The woman was obviously frustrated and stomped her black stiletto heels like an angry child.

"I was just here yesterday, let me in!"

"I'm sorry," an ANBU with a monkey mask replied boredly, "but you've been banned from the building."

"You can't do that!" she shrieked.

Naruto winced at her ear-stabbing volume and approached the other ANBU, a woman with a mouse mask. "How'd she get banned?"

Practically growing up in the Tower, he'd grown accustomed to all kind of ninja, even the fearsome ANBU. He approached the masked ninja with no fear and chatted them up, asked questions, told stories. Usually they didn't respond as ANBU were trained to operate silently and speak as little as possible. But sometimes they did talk back to him.

"She entered the Hokage's office without an appointment, for frivolous and petty reasons, wasted Hokage-sama's time, and was exceedingly rude," the woman ANBU answered.

"I did no such thing!" the well-dressed woman argued, rounding on the female guard. "I demand to see the Hokage! That woman has no right to ban me!"

"Actually, it was Hokage-sama who ordered the ban," the male ANBU informed her.

"Geeze, how rude and annoying _were_ you?" Naruto asked. _Yondy-sama's a nice, patient guy. I don't remember hearing about him ever banning anyone from the Tower before—for __**any**__ reason._

"Shut up you little bra—" The woman abruptly stopped when she recognized him and she recoiled from him as if he was a vicious snarling dog. "Stay away from me! Don't you touch me!"

Naruto flinched. People generally weren't so direct in their disgust at him over the fox. Usually it was looking through him like he wasn't there, pointedly avoiding him, nasty looks from a distance, whispers that he could just barely hear, and such. But then he stiffened up and glared.

He didn't have to take anything from her. He wasn't a little kid that had no idea why people hated him anymore. And she was some mean, crazy, civilian lady who'd gotten herself banned from entering Hokage Tower. It was okay to retaliate a little bit.

"…Aren't you a little old to believe in cooties, lady?"

If Mouse was amused, she hid it well, but Monkey snorted a bit before he got himself back under control.

"You…" the woman hissed, white and trembling. "You…"

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled as she skidded onto the scene and smacked him in the shoulder. "What are you doing insulting this lady?! Apologize!"

"She started it!" Naruto protested, cringing away from his pink-haired teammate. "And anyways, she's blocking the door!"

"That's no excuse!" Sakura retorted. "Now apologize so we can go inside."

"Or we could just go inside," Naruto suggested. "I'm all for that option. Aren't you, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha just walked past everyone and through the doors. "I'll see you inside."

"Hey, wait for me!" Naruto tried to follow, but Sakura caught his coat collar.

"Oh no you don't! Apologize and then we go in," the girl demanded.

"Girl, don't you touch him!" the woman gasped in alarm. "He's the—"

Monkey was suddenly behind the woman, with his gloved hand gripping her shoulder. "He's the Hokage's son and you don't want her to get in trouble for pushing him around, right?" he suggested cheerfully. "Don't worry. She's his teammate." His fingers on her shoulder tightened slightly. "Now, you want to go home to your husband, don't you?"

The woman flinched, then shook free of the ANBU's hand and stalked off without a backwards glance.

Naruto rubbed his cheek and stared at the ANBU. It felt…strange…to be referred to as the Hokage's son, and so openly. Did everyone know now?

Sakura blinked in confusion. "What…?"

"C'mon Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried and started towing her inside. "Sasuke's going to start the report without us!"

"Naruto!" she sputtered. "Stop pulling!"

He managed to get her up to the Hokage's office without much more trouble. She was too distracted with trying to keep up with him as he rushed through the halls to ask him if he knew what was going on with the mystery woman at the entrance. They caught up to Sasuke just as he was entering the Hokage's office.

The report was simple. The mission had been fairly routine, except for Sasuke's weird episode on the way back. It was rather boring and over quickly.

Sakura did most of the talking. Sasuke barely said a word until the end where he very firmly declared that he was fine and nothing had happened to him. And Naruto said less than he normally would have, but still threw his two cents in here and there.

"Well done," the Yondaime smiled and wrote up the notes they would need to get their pay checks from the desk several floors down. "Although, Naruto, I'd think you would be a bit more excited about a successfully completed C-rank mission."

"It was lame," Naruto complained. "We herded smelly, stupid cows for days."

"That sounds about as fun as most C-rank missions," his mother commented as she ducked into the office and put a basket of scrolls on the Hokage's desk. "Most C-ranks don't end up like your mission to _Nami no Kuni_ did." She ruffled his hair. "Good job and welcome back."

"Mom!" Naruto hissed and ducked away from her hand.

She laughed and swept out of the office as quickly as she had come in. "I'll see you at home!"

The Hokage chuckled and handed over the signed notes. "Here you go. Take a few days off before you come back sniffing around for another mission, okay?"

Sakura and Sasuke took their slips and left to collect their payment. Naruto started to follow them, but hesitated before turning around. He was already in here, so…

"Yondy-sama, who was the crazy lady at the Tower doors?" he asked, leaning against the large desk. "What did she do to get _banned_?"

"She's back already?" the Yondaime muttered. "Well, she was an old classmate of mine, and she not only interrupted my morning battle with paperwork, which won't have been so bad if she hadn't been unforgivably rude in the process, but she insulted your mother. And being a civilian, she really has no business being in the Tower anyway unless I summon her or she wants to hire ninja for a mission."

"Oh." Naruto traced the swirl patterns in the wood of the desk top. "Was she always so nasty in your class?"

"Chihiro-san seems to have gotten worse with age," the Hokage remarked. "She was only annoying back in school."

"Oh." He glanced up to find the village leader eyeing him with concern.

"Naruto, are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's just…that lady was really…unpleasant."

The Hokage (his father, he had to remind himself) gently took him by the arm and led him around behind the desk. "How so?"

"She acted like I was diseased," Naruto frowned. "Or that I would attack her or bite her or something. And then, when Sakura-chan was shoving me around, the lady almost said something…but the ANBU interrupted her and sent her away."

"I see," the older ninja muttered, his eyes darkening. "I suppose I'll have to send her a reminder to watch her tongue."

Naruto shrugged and stared at the floor. "I wouldn't have cared that much if she hadn't almost said it in front of Sakura-chan."

Sakura wasn't stupid. She'd noticed that something was up, something not normal. And she'd already seen a bit of the demon's power. She was curious about it. Pretty soon she'd catch on that he didn't want her to know anything about it, and she wouldn't be so easily distracted from getting answers out of him.

Her—_any _of his friends, really—finding out about his secret was the last thing that he wanted. It had taken so long for him to make friends with kids his own age. Before the Academy, no kids would play with him. In the Academy, he'd been the class clown, the screw up, and they mostly just laughed at him. But when he'd made genin and been put on a team, and then gone through missions and the Chuunin Exam…

_If they find out, they'll be just like everyone else. They'll—_

"Naruto…" The Yondaime's hand rested on his shoulder, while the other tilted up his head. "You could just tell them yourself so you don't have to worry about them finding out another way."

"No!" Naruto yelped, eyes wide. "No, I don't want to!"

"Alright," he nodded. "It was just a suggestion. But, if you ask me, I don't think that they'll care. If they are really your friends, once they get over the surprise, it won't matter to them."

"I don't want to," Naruto repeated, dropping his eyes to the carpet.

"Okay." The Yondaime stood up from his chair and pulled him into a hug. "Okay then."

Naruto shivered and leaned into the contact. He never wanted anyone to know—not anyone who didn't already know. If he could get away with it, he'd take the secret of the Kyuubi with him to the grave.

**Heh, it's so comforting to know that I am still so fearsome, even being imprisoned within your frail mortal flesh…**

_Shut up!_

The fox chuckled darkly, but said nothing more.

Eventually his father released him and Naruto reluctantly stepped back. The Hokage pulled open a small drawer in his desk and removed a small box of Pocky. He smiled warmly and pressed the chocolate candy into Naruto's hands.

"Now, why don't you go pick up your check, and go relax?"

Naruto grinned and left the office, tucking the candy inside his pocket so that his mom didn't see it.

_Relax? Well…I just got paid… Ichiraku Ramen sounds good!_


	34. Gossip and the Ring

**Chapter 33:** _  
Gossip and the Ring_

"So, you're going to stay?"

Tsunade peered up from the medical text she was studying and frowned at her white-haired former teammate.

"Yeah, so?"

"Wonderful!" he beamed.

She rolled her eyes. "You're just glad that you might get another chance to try and peep on me."

"Tsunade-hime!" he gasped. "I would never do such a thing to you!"

She glared at him.

"…Okay, I would." he muttered. "But, really, it _is_ wonderful that you're going to stay. What convinced you?"

"A lot of things," she replied. "I'm tired of running from creditors, it's not fair to Shizune to keep avoiding this place, I ought to do something productive with my life…a lot of things."

He nodded and glanced curiously at her book. "What are you studying for?"

"I may have an idea for how to heal that student of Maito Gai's," she muttered, dropping her eyes to the words again. "Even if I'm right, though, it'll be risky—especially considering how long it's been since the original injury."

"Well," Jiraiya laughed. "If anyone can help that kid, it's you!" He turned and walked out of the small office in the hospital that she'd taken over. "It's good to have you back, Tsunade."

She shook her head…but smiled just a little bit.

* * *

Kushina sighed as she settled down at the low table in Uchiha Mikoto's tea room. The Uchiha matriarch was busy in her home's kitchen, brewing up tea and putting together a tray of rice cakes, crackers, and some flavor of spread. It was Friday afternoon, which meant it was tea time.

The first time she'd been invited over, Kushina had never suspected that she would ever return to the heart of the Uchiha clan's realm, especially after she'd been less than talkative. But for some funny reason Mikoto kept asking her back. And now it was just about a tradition.

It was downright bizarre. Kushina had never really had any female friends. She could get along with other women, but she never sought their company, preferring to socialize with men. Being a tomboy, she understood men much better than women, and felt more comfortable around them.

"Hey, Mikoto-san," Kushina waved as her host brought in the tea. "How was your week?"

"It was good," the dark-haired woman replied quietly as she poured the tea. "How was yours?"

"Decent," the Uzumaki remarked and sipped at her tea. "One of Hokage-sama's old classmates showed up at the Tower and made a pest of herself recently." She snorted. "Normally his admirers never make it past the ground floor, but this lady was something else." _Stuck up bitch…_

"I'm sorry to hear that," Mikoto murmured, staring into her teacup. "Did it…have anything to do with the rumors going around?" she asked hesitantly.

"Probably," Kushina shrugged and crunched into a rice cake. "I haven't heard anything firsthand yet. The woman was only interested in speaking with Hokage-sama. She brushed me off as a worthless servant."

Mikoto fingered a cracker. "The current batch of rumors have rather vilified you."

"That's nothing new," Kushina sighed.

Public opinion had been thoroughly against her for volunteering Naruto for the sealing, and for protecting, raising, and loving him afterwards. It had tapered off some when Naruto went to the Academy and the village saw him separate from her—they seemed to forget that she existed half the time then. But now that Minato had warned her that their relationship and Naruto's paternity was circulating through the rumor mills, she was sure that the hatred and disgust towards her was flaring up again.

The Uchiha woman found an invisible spot on the back of her own hand to be strangely fascinating. "I…I know this is none of my business, but…were you and Hokage-sama ever…involved with each other?"

"Yeah," Kushina nodded after a moment's thought.

_"Things are different now than there were back then,"_ Minato had said to her when he'd filled her in on the rumor that crazy Chihiro had brought in with her. _"I don't want to hide things anymore. If I did, people might start to think that I'm ashamed of being with you, ashamed of Naruto, and I'm not. I know I should've talked this out with you first and probably found a more controlled way to let things be known…but it was really fun to rattle Inoichi like that."_

"Yeah, we saw each other back then," she elaborated. "We kept it quiet because he didn't his sensei to give him crap about it."

Mikoto almost spilled her tea instead of sipping it. "And all these years…you never said anything?"

"Naruto had enough enemies on his own," Kushina answered. "Why add all of his father's on top of that?"

"Oh." The Uchiha woman anxiously traced a nonsense pattern on her napkin with her fingernail. "I see…"

Raising an eyebrow at her host's strangely withdrawn behavior, Kushina plowed on ahead with several amusing but unimportant stories of office antics. She never said anything that was supposed to remain secret. She was a professional, after all. But after a little while, she wound down and focused more on devouring the rice cakes than relating how the flighty idiot in the forgery department had a fit after her latest work got coffee spilled all over it.

Mikoto bit her lip before speaking up again. "Kushina-sama—"

"Eh?" Kushina snorted. "None of that '-sama' now. The only people who call me 'Kushina-sama' are wimpy office ninjas when I'm yelling at them. If anything, I should be calling _you_ '-sama'. You're the head of a whole clan! I'm just one little kunoichi."

The Uchiha woman looked as if she was going to argue, but instead settled for continuing what she'd started to say. "Do think you and Hokage-sama will marry?"

Kushina almost choked on her tea. "Huh?" she blinked. "Why would we? It's been so long…why would we bother now?"

Ideally, people married before they had kids. If that didn't happen, they married before the baby was born, or shortly afterwards—when the kid was still young. But when the child got to be around Naruto's age, why bother going through the complication of marrying?

"…Do you want to marry him?"

"I don't know," Kushina grimaced. "I've never really thought about it."

Mikoto blinked. "You never thought about it? _Ever_?"

Kushina shook her head. Long ago, in the beginning, she had been sure that Minato's interest was purely born of curiosity and lust (that was certainly what she felt towards him, then) and she was determined to enjoy it until it blew over. But even when it didn't blow over and he burrowed deeper and deeper under her skin and feelings deepened, the idea of marrying him really didn't enter her mind. She was a tomboy; she never fantasized about the man she would marry or the kind of wedding they would have.

"I guess…If he asked me…I'd say yes," Kushina said, toying with her teacup. "But I don't see why he'd bother after so long… Things are fine the way that they are now."

"Alright," Mikoto replied dubiously. "If you're sure…"

"I am," the red-head nodded._ I don't need him to marry me; I know that he loves me, and that's enough._ She glanced at the wall clock and sighed at the time. "I need to be getting back. Thanks for the tea and stuff."

"You're welcome," the Uchiha woman replied and led her to the front door, like always. However, before Kushina could exit and be on her way, Mikoto caught her wrist to stop her. "Thank you for the note last week."

"No problem," Kushina shrugged, rather baffled.

Mikoto looked into her eyes with a strange mixture of anguish and gratitude on her face. "Thank you…for everything."

"You're welcome?" the Uzumaki replied uncertainly.

"If you ever need anything…"

"Sure," Kushina nodded and pulled her wrist free. "I'll see you later."

Mikoto nodded and withdrew into her home, leaving Kushina to return to the Tower, utterly bewildered.

_What the hell was __**that**__ all about?_

* * *

Naruto strolled down the street with a stick of Pocky hanging out of his mouth. He'd had his Ichiraku ramen, gone home to shower and drop off his stuff, and now was enjoying his candy. The rude lady from the Tower entrance was nearly forgotten and he was feeling pretty good.

"What do you mean you know that already?!"

He jumped at the shout and turned to face a nearby park. There he spied Sakura and Ino sitting on a bench and eating from bento boxes. Ino looked smug while Sakura looked rather pissed off.

"It's all over the village," Ino shrugged. "Everybody knows about it."

Naruto cocked his head and walked closer.

"Well," Sakura scowled. "What did you hear?"

"All sorts of things," Ino grinned slyly. "Like, at the grocery store, I heard that she used to be some kind of crazy Amazon, and when she met Hokage-sama she challenged him to a fight. He won of course, and so she became his loyal servant, bound to do whatever he wished."

"Huh?" Naruto frowned, a fresh stick of Pocky halfway to his mouth. "What are you talking about now?"

Both girls jumped, too engrossed in their gossip to have noticed his approach.

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed, annoyed. "Don't sneak up on us like that!"

"Sorry," he muttered and nibbled on his candy.

Ino glared briefly at him, but then she smiled a strange, predatory sort of smile. "Hi, Naruto."

He blinked at the blonde girl in confusion. _Huh?_

"Ino-pig?" Sakura muttered, equally baffled by her friend's odd behavior.

"Relax, Forehead-girl," Ino smirked. "It's all part of my ultimate master plan! Sasuke-kun will fall in love with me for sure…"

Sakura eyed her friend and rival critically for a minute. "…By making him jealous?"

"Exactly!" Ino giggled.

Naruto glanced back and forth between the two girls, totally confused. …_I don't get it._

"So, Naruto," Ino grinned, leaving the bench to invade his personal space. "Can I have some Pocky?"

"Uh, sure," he shrugged and handed her two pieces of the candy. "Um…what were you talking about? What does everybody know?"

"About your family connections," Ino smiled widely. "I was just telling Billboard-brow rumors that I heard about how your parents met."

Naruto edged away from Ino and frowned. "I don't think they met like that. And I don't think my mom's an Amazon." _Whatever the heck that is…_

"Well, how did they meet, then?" the Yamanaka girl asked, batting her eyelashes.

"I don't know. I didn't ask." He took a step back and bit into a stick of Pocky. "Do you have something in your eye, Ino?"

"No, silly," Ino sighed and stepped closer. "Why don't we take a walk?"

"Ino-pig…" Sakura groaned.

"Er, no thanks," Naruto squeaked, thoroughly unnerved by Ino's odd behavior. "I really don't know anything. You should ask my mom… Bye!"

Before either girl could say anything, Naruto made a hasty retreat down the street, away from the park. Ino had never behaved like that towards him. Maybe if Sakura had shown that kind of interest he wouldn't have been so freaked about…but _Ino_? She'd never paid him any mind back in the Academy. And what had that been about a plan, Sasuke, and jealousy?

_I don't get girls,_ he sighed and went back to aimlessly wandering while munching on Pocky.

"Candy from daddy?" Sasuke muttered in a mocking tone, seemingly appearing from thin air.

Naruto jumped and scowled at his teammate. "Well…yeah."

"Hn," the Uchiha grunted. "…You certainly didn't get Hokage-sama's brains."

"What was that?!" Naruto fumed.

"You heard me," Sasuke replied calmly. "The son of such a brilliant ninja should be at the top of the class, don't you think?"

"_Teme_!" Naruto growled. While it was nice that Sasuke was finally acknowledging what Naruto had told him on their mission, the Uchiha just had to turn it into a dig at him. "Why do you always have to be such a d—"

"Good afternoon, Sasuke-san," a round-faced old lady who ran a nearby bakery greeted with a smile. She pulled a fresh cookie from one of her apron pockets and presented it to the Uchiha. "Have a cookie, dearie."

The Uchiha clan was loved by the civilians of the village because of their role as the military police. They had been the most visible and familiar protectors of the village, and the civilians had mourned them when Itachi had decimated them. Now that there were so few Uchiha left, there were some business owners in the village would give the Uchiha (the younger ones, especially) discounts or little freebies like treats or a few extra weapons.

Sasuke looked irritated, but accepted the treat (and the pat on the head that came with it) so as not to offend the kindly old lady.

Naruto looked on with a pout. He couldn't accept gifts from random strangers; he didn't dare. His mother had always warned him against taking candy from people he didn't know, and the one time he'd ignored that warning, the candy that he'd eaten had tasted funny and he'd felt sick for hours afterwards. Looking back now that he was older and wiser, he was sure that the chocolate had been laced with something dangerous.

"Oh!" the old baker woman started when she noticed Naruto hanging off to the side. "You…" She hesitated before reaching into her apron pocket again and extracting another cookie. "You have one too."

He stared at the innocent-looking sugar cookie warily before—at the prompting of Sasuke's elbow—cautiously taking the treat. The old baker woman tentatively smiled at him and reached out to pat his head as she had Sasuke's, but he ducked away from the contact out of reflex. People rarely attacked him (and when they did his mother was usually around to protect him) but he was sensitive towards possible violence anyways. He knew that he was unpopular with the villagers—he'd known it most of his life—and he knew better than to trust people he didn't know.

"Uh, thanks," Naruto muttered to the startled old lady and hurried away, around a corner. "Bye!"

Before he could find a trash can to ditch the cookie, Sasuke caught up to him and slapped the back of his head. "What's wrong with you?"

"Shut up!" Naruto scowled. "People aren't nice to me all the time like they are to you."

"So that's why you're rude to little old ladies?" Sasuke snorted.

"Why do you care?" Naruto shot back. "You never worry about being rude to all the girls that chase you all the time. Why worry about little old ladies? Aren't they just as annoying as little girls?"

"Yeah, but if my mom found out that I wasn't polite to an old lady, she'd lecture me," Sasuke muttered sourly. "She's really big on giving elders the proper respect."

Naruto rolled his eyes and looked around for a trash can to ditch the cookie.

"Here," the Uchiha muttered and pressed his cookie into Naruto's hands and started to walk down a side street.

"I don't want it!" Naruto sputtered.

"I don't want it either," Sasuke said. "I don't like sweet things."

Naruto glared at the red-and-white fan stitched onto Sasuke's retreating back, and then down at the second cookie now in his hand. He hesitated for a moment, because there was no way that Sasuke's cookie would be tainted (no civilian would ever harm a precious Uchiha), but in the end he threw them both away. He was just too conditioned against trusting food provided by strange villagers.

Besides, what did he need a cookie for when he still had half a box of Pocky (provided by the Hokage, who was _not_ a stranger) to eat?

* * *

When Minato returned to his official residence late in the evening, he was rather annoyed to find his sensei rooting around his room like a nosy parent. He was doubly annoyed because Kushina was going to stop by and might spend the night. With Jiraiya around, she wasn't likely to stay out of fear that he might try to secretly observe them for use in a future book.

"Sensei, what are you doing?"

"Looking," Jiraiya replied innocently while peering into a drawer of his bedside table. He chuckled and pulled out a small box. "Condoms?"

"She hasn't gotten back on the pill yet," Minato muttered, flushing a bit in embarrassment.

"Huh," the Sannin snorted as he studied the box. "Why'd you get such a boring kind? You know, they make kinds that—"

"I know," Minato interrupted, stealing the box away from his former teacher and putting it back in the drawer. "These ones do just fine."

It was embarrassing enough to have to ask one of his ANBU to pick the stuff up from the drug store for him—he didn't have the time (and it was too humiliating) to go himself—but…to ask for the more exotic varieties?

"Minato! Where's your sense of adventure?" Jiraiya raided a white eyebrow. "Is your sex as boring as your condoms are?"

"No," Minato growled. "I'd rather not get into the details if you don't mind."

"I know you're not a virgin so why are you being such a prude?" the Sannin complained.

"Sensei," the blonde pleaded.

What went on between Kushina and himself in their bedroom was very intimate and deeply private; he had no desire to share it with any outsider, even his beloved teacher.

"…Fine," Jiraiya sighed and then plunged deeper into the drawer before Minato could stop them. "Hello!" He pulled something small out, hidden by his large hand. "What's this?"

Minato swallowed hard when he caught sight of the worn velvet box that his sensei had found.

"This looks like…" The white-haired man snapped the little box open and stared at the ring inside, first with curiosity and then with confusion. "This isn't…an _engagement ring_, is it?"

"Well…" he nervously scratched at the back of his head. "…Yeah."

Jiraiya gaped at him. "How long have you had this?"

"A while," he muttered, studying the bedroom carpet intently. "Since before…you know."

"And you still haven't asked her?!" the older ninja sputtered.

Minato shrugged.

He had no plans for anything elaborate or dramatic. That would only embarrass her. He just had the idea for a nice little dinner, where the mood felt right, and then he'd ask her. It was just a matter of finding that right time…

"…If you're afraid that she's not going to like the ring, I could go get her opinion for you," Jiraiya suggested, and got up from the bed as if to go do just that.

"Gimme that!" Minato yelped and made a panicked lunge for the jewelry.

A brief struggle ensued, which resulted in the two of them grappling around on the floor while the ring case was knocked to the side.

"Sensei!" Minato hissed furiously as he perched on his former mentor's chest. "Would you just mind your own—"

"Do I even want to know what you two are doing?"

The two men froze and turned to the bedroom doorway where Kushina stood and stared down at them.

"K-Kushina, hi!" Minato laughed nervously and tumbled off his teacher. "Jiraiya-sensei was just being a pest…and he's leaving now."

"Good evening!" Jiraiya grinned from the floor. "Fancy seeing you here!"

"Whatever," Kushina sighed and started to walk into the room…but she paused when she stepped on something. "Huh, what's this?"

When she picked up the ring box from the floor, Minato had a small heart attack.

"A ring?" She eyed the ring curiously for several minutes…what felt like an eternity to him. "Pretty," she murmured, running her fingers over the worn spots on the velvet box. "Did this belong to your mother?"

"No," Minato squeaked, feeling rather faint.

Kushina glanced at him worriedly. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah," he choked, his heart racing as a clammy sweat broke out on his skin. "I'm fine." _This is a total nightmare! …I think I'm going to throw up._

"You sure?" she asked skeptically. "You look really pale."

He nodded jerkily.

Behind him, Jiraiya sat up and clapped a steadying hand on his shoulder, and whispered: _"Go for it!"_

Minato wobbled in his awkward seat on the floor. "I…"

He was fearless on the battlefield regardless of the number of foes he had to slay. But, unwittingly cornered by Kushina, his spine felt like jelly. His iron nerves felt scattered and frayed.

"Minato…" she frowned with concerned and stepped closer, still holding the ring.

"I bought the ring for you," he gasped out, struggling to wrangle his panicked thoughts into something more coherent.

She blinked. "Minato…you know I don't wear jewelry."

He sagged. "I know… It's a…symbolic thing."

"Symbolic?" she repeated blankly.

"You have to…answer a question to get it," he haltingly explained.

"A question?" She frowned. "What question? You're not making any sense."

Minato wasn't sure whether he should laugh at the situation, or cry. Sucking in a deep breath, he shifted to his knees and reached for the ring box with trembling fingers. He'd already waited far too long; he might as well ask her now.

_She thinks the ring is pretty,_ he thought dazedly as his hands caught hers. _That's good…right?_

"Your hands are really sweaty," she remarked and glanced behind him at Jiraiya. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's just nervous," Jiraiya chuckled as he edged out of the scene, presumably out the window.

"Nervous?" she snorted. "Why would he…be…?"

And then she finally caught on. He could see it in her beautiful eyes—a mixture of blue and green. Confusion was first, which melted into understanding, and then quickly melted into shock and disbelief.

"You…" Her voice wavered and she shook her head desperately, her eyes glassy but still pinned to his. "You can't be serious!"

"I wouldn't have commissioned it if I wasn't serious," he pouted, a strange sort of calm falling over him now that she realized what this was all about. His fingers clasped hers tighter. "I really should've asked you a long time ago…" _How different would things be now if I had?_

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "You mean…even back then…you wanted to…?"

"Of course," he smiled. "I loved you, why _wouldn't_ I want to marry you?"

Kushina's knees failed her and she sank to the carpet in front of him. "I could list a few reasons," she whispered faintly.

"_Koibito,_" he sighed and licked his dry lips. "Uzumaki Kushina, will you marry me?"

"…Yes," she breathed, a few tears escaping from the corners of her eyes. And then she'd pulled her hands free of his and was clinging to him like she was afraid that he was going to disappear. "Yes!"

Minato buried his face in her long red hair and smiled.

_Aisai…_

* * *

***

_Aisai_ = beloved wife


	35. Towards the Future

**Chapter 34:** _  
Towards the Future…_

A dark-haired young man with a weary face went about his rounds, re-shelving books in the library of a trade town that lay on the banks of a river in the heart of _Hi no Kuni_. The head librarian had been leery of hiring him at first as his eyesight was failing, but he was quiet, intelligent, and diligent in completing his duties and so he had been given a chance. Once he had fully settled into the town and had money to spend, he would visit an ophthalmologist and see about acquiring glasses.

Once his book cart was empty, he returned to the main desk and settled into his chair to wait for a patron to require his assistance. It was rather early in the day and no one in town seemed keen on coming in to find a book to borrow. Taking advantage of this free time, the young man pulled a half-written letter from his pocket and began carefully composing new lines on the paper.

The soft shuffle of sandals on carpet alerted him to someone's approach.

"Osamu-san?" He glanced up at the name he had chosen for himself to find a young lady his age smiling shyly at him. "Do you think that you could help me research something for my father?"

"Of course, Emi-san," he nodded, tucked away his letter, and left his desk to assist her. "What subject are you researching?"

She told him and, with a little searching as he was not terribly familiar with the layout of the stacks yet, he led her to the appropriate texts. As she studied the dusty books, he took a moment to study her while she was distracted. Emi was a pretty brunette with unremarkable dark eyes and tanned skin with a dusting of freckles. If he hadn't already encountered her and learned that she was the daughter of a well-to-do merchant, he would've assumed her to be a farmer's daughter.

For the briefest moment, he allowed himself to contemplate his mother's promise to look after any children he might father and send back to the village of his birth. Emi seemed to be a nice enough girl—she was attractive, healthy, intelligent, and appeared to find him interesting. And if not her, there were many other girls who lived here that he might choose…

_No…I don't think I should "settle down". There's too much blood on my hands…and too much hunting me. …It wouldn't be fair to any woman or child._

He shoved such musings away and focused on helping Emi find the books that she needed, and the best way to phrase the coded letter he needed to send to the Hokage.

* * *

Daisuke groaned as he settled down at his desk for the first time in nearly a week. A nasty bout of the flu had kept him in bed and away from work for what felt like forever. But now he felt human enough to return to duty and so return he had.

Glancing at the pile of paperwork in his in-box he moaned and wished that the flu had killed him.

"Where have you been?!" Minoru hissed when he caught sight of his co-worker.

"Home sick," Daisuke coughed. "Where else?"

"You missed the biggest event ever!" Minoru whispered, leaning closer to Daisuke's desk.

Daisuke blinked. "…What?"

"Ryuu-sama has a ring now!"

He was about to respond with _"so what?"_ but then he recalled that this was _Ryuu-sama_. It was doubtful that the red-haired woman had owned any kind of jewelry _ever_. But now all of a sudden she was wearing a ring?

"What does that mean?" Daisuke asked warily.

"Well, you know how she's seeing the boss now?" Minoru answered. "Well, add a ring to that."

The administrative ninja blinked blearily and chewed that over in his mind for a few minutes. It had been the talk of the office (when the fearsome Kushina-sama wasn't around breathing down their necks, of course) when it became known that their boss, the Yondaime Hokage, was involved with his loyal assistant. But now a ring meant…that…

"…No way."

"Yeah," Minoru nodded, wide-eyed. "I know, right?"

"May the spirits have mercy on his soul," Daisuke muttered and pulled the top papers from his in-box to start working. _And mine, too…stupid paperwork._

* * *

Kushina tried not to get too impatient as she sat in the exam room and waited for the doctor to return. It was really annoying that to get back on the pill that she had to visit the doctor and get examined. But since she needed to go in for a physical anyway, there was no real escape from the doctor's office.

The whole exam had been uneventful. Even though she was more or less retired from the active ninja life, she kept in good physical condition and her only chronic complaints were minor pains that occasionally flared up from old injuries. The fatigue and vague sick-ish feeling that she'd been experiencing lately had faded some and she'd almost forgotten to mention it. But she was sure that it was nothing—a mild virus and stress from work at the most.

_This is so annoying,_ she sighed and fidgeted with the ring on her finger. _How long does it take to get test results back and then give me my damn prescription?! Seriously…_

She idly wondered how long it would take to get used to the jewelry on her hand. Women wore rings all the time and never seemed to notice the things. But she'd had hers for several days and was still acutely aware of the feel of it on her finger.

Naruto had noticed the ring fairly quickly. She had never worn jewelry before and he noticed the glittering band right away. Once she explained what it was, he hadn't seemed shocked or surprised. Apparently, Minato had already asked Naruto if he would mind if the two of them were to marry.

_"Isn't that what you're supposed to do if you really love someone?"_ Naruto had shrugged. _"Marry them? If you love him and he loves you, why shouldn't you get married if you want to?"_

When she told him that they would be moving in a few weeks, he was more upset. They had always lived in the same apartment. He didn't want to leave the familiar rooms behind forever. But when she assured him that he would get a better room in the Hokage Manor (and might even be able to pick which one he wanted) he seemed a bit intrigued. She sold the idea by adding that there were private training grounds behind the house (not to mention a front and back yard; their apartment had neither) that he would be able to use sometimes.

He was still a bit reluctant about the future move, but she was sure that he'd get over that as soon as he adjusted to the new address. The worst part would be packing everything up and ferrying it over from their apartment to the Hokage Manor. But after that, everything would be fine.

Mikoto had noticed her new ring even faster than Naruto had. They hadn't been acquainted too long, so she hadn't jumped to any conclusions about it, but Kushina knew that the Uchiha had been suspicious of the jewelry. When Kushina had admitted what it was, Mikoto had smiled…but it had been a sad smile.

Perhaps it had made her think of her late husband. Or perhaps she regretted the way that her own marriage had started. There was no proposal for Mikoto. To prevent in-breeding, the Uchiha clan either green-lighted couples if they were genetically compatible or assigned partners. Mikoto and Fugaku hadn't fallen in love first, they'd been chosen for one another and any affection between them came later.

She stretched and yawned out of boredom. _Where the hell is the doctor?! I have better things to do than sit around and wait for him to get back!_

The sooner she got this over with, the sooner she could get her prescription filled, and the sooner she could get back on the pill and Minato could ditch the condoms. After the first few times without protection (years of nothing had left them too desperate to care) Minato had been persuaded to acquire the male birth control. He found the things annoying and was eager for them to no longer be necessary, especially now that Jiraiya had made fun of the brand that he'd chosen.

_Like taking a pill everyday is any less annoying,_ she sighed. _But I suppose it's easier than trying to remember to use something, and use it right, in the heat of passion. Bah, why does birth control have to be such a pain?_

Slipping off the exam table, she started to pace the small room to get the time to pass faster.

On the subject of rumors, they were just as angry as before. News of her engagement hadn't really circulated beyond the Tower as far as she could tell. The villagers were simply too fixated on the shocking fact that she and the Hokage were together, and had been together in the past. When they eventually married, she was sure that the villagers would be even more upset.

_Well, they're just going to have to get over it,_ she huffed and sat back down. _There's nothing that they can do to stop it._

They were going to get married. The exact date hadn't been determined yet. But when it was all arranged, they'd find a nice little temple outside the village and have a little ceremony with only a few witnesses—probably no more than Naruto, Kakashi, Jiraiya, and perhaps Tsunade—and then it would be a done deal.

Everything was falling into place. The life that she'd given up on ever getting was settling in around her. She had her son, she was engaged to the man that she loved, they would all soon live in the same house together…and perhaps after she married, Minato would persuade her to have another baby. He'd missed out on Naruto's infancy and his recollection of Naruto's childhood was hazy in places.

Another baby might not be so bad. Naruto was getting too old to be cuddled; he was a ninja now and increasingly independent. And she was from a big family and had always wanted Naruto to have siblings like she had had growing up.

_Maybe…eventually…we'll see…_ She fidgeted with her ring some more._ Not right now, though. There's too much going on._

Kushina rolled her shoulders and glared at the exam room door, silently demanding the doctor to appear.

And then, magically, he did.

He was an older man, with more silver than black in his hair and clear lines around his mouth and eyes. He seemed intelligent and professional, and he'd been friendly enough with her when he'd done his examination. She greatly appreciated the polite way that he'd dealt with her so far, unlike the nurse who had assisted him. The nurse had had a sour look on her face the whole time, and been rather snippy.

The doctor glanced up from the file that he'd been studying, and the expression on his face immediately caught her attention.

_What the heck is that look for…?_

* * *

Shino was about to head out and meet with his team for practice when his father stopped him.

"May we speak, Shino?"

"Yes, father?" the young Aburame replied. "Was my performance on my latest mission not satisfactory?"

His team's C-rank mission had been simple enough, and they had completed it successfully and on time. However, without their sensei's mediating presence he and Kiba had clashed a bit more than they should have and there had been some rocky moments. Had his father heard about that?

"No," the elder Aburame replied. "I wish to discuss what is becoming a fixation on your former classmate."

Shino grimaced slightly behind the high collar of his coat. Despite numerous quiet inquiries and many hours of wandering the village streets with his ears open, he had yet to find any sort of satisfactory answer as to why the village as a whole seemed biased against one Uzumaki Naruto. It seemed even more illogical now that information had come out, revealing his former classmate to be the son of the Hokage—making him a child to be treasured, not scorned. Hinata had not minded assisting him in his endeavors, but Kiba was less and less enthusiastic.

"What of it, father?"

"What drives your curiosity?" his father asked.

"The villagers' behavior is utterly illogical. The social equation is unbalanced—there seems to be no cause that fits with the effect." Shino adjusted his round shades. "If there is discord within a hive and the reason cannot be found and corrected, then it will collapse. Is this not truth, father?"

"It is," his father nodded gravely. "However, human societies are regrettably not the same as insect societies. Human behavior is not always logical or fair. And our village is not an ordinary village, but a military village of civilians and ninjas."

"I understand that father," Shino nodded. "This does nothing, however, to explain the baffling and disturbing attitudes directed towards my former classmate and comrade."

His father regarded him through his square-lensed shades for a moment. "The explanations that you seek will come to you in time if you continue to excel at being a shinobi, and if you are patient. A larva must wait until it matures into an adult before it can be entrusted with the duty it must perform to continue the life of the hive. It is much the same for ninja. When you have matured into an experienced and skilled shinobi, you will be entrusted with the secrets of the village and you will surely discover the answers that you seek."

Shino was not the least bit satiated by this answer, but it was clear that his father would not support his personal investigation. He nodded as if to accept his father's words and moved to leave. However, his father's hand clasping his shoulder stopped him.

"Determination and relentless pursuit are worthy traits of a ninja, but patience is one of the shinobi's greatest virtues," his father said. "Do you recall the last instance where you fixated on a pursuit?"

He nodded, and thought of the Chuunin Exams. When his opponent for the final round, Kankuro, had dropped out at the last moment, he had been frustrated at the fight that he had been denied. In the chaos that had interrupted the testing, he had gone after the Suna puppeteer, determined to get the fight that he was supposed to have had. While his actions had helped Uchiha Sasuke, and he had been victorious in his battle, he had been poisoned and had his father not come to his rescue he might have been permanently injured or killed.

"Your actions were risky and reckless and could've had terrible consequences," the elder Aburame remarked. "Have you ever stopped to consider that your investigation might cause your comrade distress or strife?"

Shino hesitated. "No, I have not."

"Curiosity is an important trait in a ninja, but one must be careful not to allow curiosity overrule all other sense," he father warned and released Shino's shoulder. "I advise patience and greater focus on improving your ninja skills. There are few secrets in a village that a jounin does not know."

"Yes, father," Shino bowed and left his family home to meet with his teammates.

He was not pleased with the conversation that he'd had with his father, but he would learn from it. He had not considered what side effects there might be (if any) from his search for answers as to why Uzumaki Naruto was selected by the village at large to be the general scapegoat. So he would follow his father's advice and be patient with open ears, and focus on becoming a better ninja.

_Kiba will be glad of that…_

* * *

Tsunade groaned and sat back in her office chair to massage her throbbing temples. There was just so much paperwork to go over. The only place that she knew had more was the Hokage Tower…and that made her incredibly glad that she hadn't been roped into being the Godaime.

Shizune was taking the day off after successfully completing the grueling surgery on genin Rock Lee. So far, the signs were good that the budding taijutsu master would fully recover. When Maito Gai returned from his current mission, he'd be ecstatic…and probably cry many manly, Youthful tears.

_I should've been there to help Shizune. I should've __**led**__ the damn surgery! What sort of medic am I that I still can't stand the sight of blood?_

She'd started work on developing her new medic training program, but how could she go through with it without being able to do any hands-on teaching? How could her future students respect her and take her lessons seriously? Something had to be done…

_Maybe…if I practice exposing myself to cow blood from a butcher I could desensitize myself—_

Her office door swung open and Uzumaki (soon to be _Namikaze_, Jiraiya had delightedly informed her a few days ago…in the middle of the damn _night_) Kushina darted inside, banging the door shut behind her. Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the unexpected visit. Her eyebrow went a tad higher when she noticed how agitated the red-head looked.

"…Yes?"

"Hi," Kushina waved stiffly. "Can I ask a little favor?"

"What kind of favor?" Tsunade inquired curiously. "Something medical, or otherwise?"

"Medical," Kushina muttered anxiously. "I…need a second opinion on something."

The woman Sannin hesitated for a moment. If it involved a blood test… No, it didn't matter. She might as well start somewhere with her crippling hemophobia.

"Alright," she nodded. "What do you need checked?"

* * *

Naruto jumped through the trees as he navigated the borders of the various training fields just outside of the village. He'd tried to train some with Sasuke, but the Uchiha refused to spar and focused on target practice, which Naruto had grown bored with after a few hours. Kakashi was out of the village on an A-rank mission, and wasn't likely to return for several more days. And Sakura was at the hospital, trying to get herself accepted into the new medic training program that Tsunade was putting together.

_Maybe if I head to the _onsen_ I'll find Ero-Sennin and get him to train with me…_

But before he could make it back to the village and the hot springs, he came across Team 8 training. Shino didn't appear to be doing anything; he just stood off to the side in the clearing and seemed to stare at nothing. Kiba and Akamaru were racing around the edges of the opening in the trees, practicing their coordinated maneuvers. And Hinata was over by a small pond on the opposite side of the clearing from Shino, apparently trying to master the skill of water-walking.

Before Naruto could move on, Akamaru whizzed by his head…and hit him with a sprinkling of urine.

"Gak!" Naruto yelped and dropped from his spot in the tree to dive into the pond where Hinata was practicing to remove the pee from his person before it seeped into his clothes. "Kiba!" he sputtered after dunking himself a few times. "Akamaru peed on me!"

"Sorry!" Kiba gasped between laughs, proving that he was not at all sorry.

"Kiba…" Naruto growled and climbed onto the surface of the water.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata squeaked, drawing his attention.

She was standing a few feet away up to her knees in the water. Her pant legs had been rolled up and her sandals set to the side to keep them dry while she struggled with the skill. She'd also removed her bulky jacket to keep it from getting damp, which was something he never remembered seeing her do before.

"Hi Hinata!" he grinned. "Did I mess up your practice?"

"N-not r-really," she half-whispered. "I…I wasn't r-really getting anywhere…"

"You're trying to walk on water, right?" he asked eagerly, wringing out his water-logged clothes. "I can help you with that if you want!"

"Y-you would?" she asked, disbelievingly.

"Sure!" he laughed. "I'm really good at it!" He padded over the surface of the pond to her. "You know how to stick to trees with chakra, right?"

The Hyuuga girl nodded mutely.

"Well, you just do that, only you keep up a steady flow of chakra through your feet instead of just concentrating some on the bottom of your feet." Naruto grinned and grabbed her wrists to pull her up towards the surface of the pond. "Just worry about finding the right amount of chakra you need to stand before you try to figure out how to take steps."

Hinata's pale violet eyes seemed to bug out of her head when his hands grasped her wrists and her cheeks flushed a bright red. She tried to stand on the water as he tried to coach her, but her chakra flow was unsteady, moving in fits and bursts that made the water under her feet thrash and bubble until she collapsed and sank up to her knees again. No matter how many times he pulled her back up to try again, no matter what advice he tried to give her, she only seemed to perform worse.

Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru watched them intently and Naruto started to sweat nervously as things kept getting more and more awkward. But Hinata kept trying, even as she seemed to dissolve into a pile of nerves at his feet. He couldn't help but be a little bit impressed that she was still trying and not fainting or collapsing into tears.

_Man, Hinata's weird,_ he thought as he watched her face find a new shade of red. _But…she tries. And she's nice. And she hasn't pestered me about my parents' love story, like Ino and Sakura do._

She was a nice girl, she'd impressed him, and he was determined to help her get this down, no matter what!

"C'mon Hinata!" he cheered with an encouraging grin. "Let's try this one more time!"

* * *

"Are you sure about your decision?" the old man asked.

Minato stared stonily back at Homura and Koharu, the two most respected elders in the village. "I would not have purchased the ring in the first place, let alone asked her, if I was not sure."

Koharu's wrinkled face was pinched with disapproval. "Your choice to marry her after so many years simply seems so impulsive…"

"You would prefer that I not marry her and keep her as my mistress?" Minato asked, bristling.

"Choosing her at all is folly," Homura grunted.

Minato's blue eyes hardened to ice. "Your responsibilities are to advise me, not to dictate my personal life."

"Your choice of wife impacts your public image," Koharu countered sternly, speaking to him as if he was her wayward grandson. "If she merely remained as your mistress, there would be far less of an impact on your own reputation."

"We said nothing when you took her as a lover, but we must put our foot down at marrying her," Homura continued.

"Get out of my office!" he snapped coldly. "Do not show your faces to me again until I call for you."

The two elders looked insulted, but neither spoke up under the weight of his killer intent. Both stiffly rose, bowed, and withdrew as he had ordered them two. When the office doors creaked shut, Minato slumped deeply into his swivel chair and groaned.

_At least they didn't bring Danzou with them…_

Running a hand through his spiky hair, Minato spun his chair around so that he could stare out his windows at the village laid out before him. It was a nice peaceful view that reminded him what his job was all about. He had to protect all of this, and the people that lived in it. It was a daunting task, but a rewarding one.

Well, most of the time it was.

Lately on the walks that he would sometimes take through the village, civilians would come up to him and ask him if he really was seeing the mother of _that boy_. When he would confirm this, not a single one of them seemed happy about it. Most looked troubled, while others actually seemed angry. Some young ladies who had probably dreamed of him sweeping them off their feet one day had run off to go cry.

_They will adjust,_ he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. _Once the shock wears off and they see that things are lasting, they'll either come accept it or ignore it. …I just wish that the village would get over it faster!_

Not everyone was against his relationship. Naruto was still a bit leery about everything, but since his mother had always been close to Minato and vice versa it wasn't a horrible shock to his world. Inoichi and his friends, Shikaku and Chouza, didn't mind—the three of them had expressed interest in giving him a bachelor party. Jiraiya was over the moon and, if he heard about Ino-Shika-Cho's offer, he would probably try to collaborate with them for his student's last night as a free man. Tsunade would be pleased and happy for them, as would her pleasant assistant, Shizune. Kakashi, his last remaining student, would take the news in stride once he returned from the assassination mission that he was on, although there was some risk that he might make some jokes about the situation to give his sensei a hard time. Uchiha Mikoto, as Kushina's friend, would be supportive. And the rest of the clan heads, if they weren't happy for them, would at least look the other way and say nothing.

The door to his office opened again and Minato turned his chair to find a grumpy Kushina skulking through the doorway. She probably just gotten back from her doctor's appointment where she was finally getting her birth control prescription renewed. She hated doctors and hospitals and even though her appointment would've been brief, she'd probably be a bit cranky for hours afterwards.

"Did everything go alright?" he asked.

She fixed him with a sharp look. "Stand up."

Minato blinked, but did as she commanded.

"Come here," she ordered, pointing to a spot on the carpet in front of her.

Uneasily he moved to stand in the indicated place.

"Now hold still," she growled, and then moved around to stand directly behind him.

He started to sweat. "What are you doing?" _She's not…going to do __**that**__…is she?_

"You remember that little agreement we had when you wanted to jump back into sex before making any arrangements for protection, _right_?" she purred darkly.

"…Yeah," he answered slowly, dredging the little conversation up from months ago. "I think I do."

"Well…" Unable to see her, he was caught unprepared when something hit him in the rear, so he was knocked to the floor. "There. Your ass has been kicked. Now I'm going to go home and take a nap."

And then she left.

Minato slowly sat up from his prone position on the floor. _…Huh?_

His fiancée could be a bit random at times, but she'd clearly kicked him for a reason. She'd mentioned a conversation at the re-ignition of their physical relationship. He frowned in concentration as he struggled to recall her exact words…

_"…If I get pregnant from this…I'm going to kick your ass!"_

He stumbled to his feet, tripped on his Hokage jacket, and practically fell out of his office door as he raced to catch up with her.

"Wait, Kushina—_what?!_"


	36. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Can I stamp more, Daddy?"

He stared down into blue-green eyes and smiled.

"Sorry Moriko-chan, but I think you stamped them all."

The little blonde girl's eyes widened. "I did?"

Moriko was born adorable. She wore her blonde hair in two pigtails or a ponytail tied with pretty ribbons. The girl loved dresses and dolls and playing tea party and house—which seemed quite normal to him, but left Kushina rather out of her depth. Today it was two pigtails and her favorite blue sundress.

"Yes," he nodded gravely and carefully removed the stamp that produced the Hokage's seal from her tiny hand, "you did."

She pouted a bit. "But I wanna stamp more!"

"Maybe tomorrow," he chuckled.

"But Daddy!" she whined. "I want—"

"Is it a tantrum?"

Minato glanced up at his office doors to find Naruto peeking in warily. "No, not yet."

Moriko was usually a very sweet little girl, but when she got into a tantrum she morphed into a shrieking monster. She'd stomp and howl and make a scene and, being only three years old, she didn't care who saw or what they thought—all the mattered was that she got her way. It was an embarrassing, humbling experience for him when his daughter decided to have a meltdown in public. Kushina would just get irritated and start muttering about karma under her breath.

"Naruto-nii-chan!" Moriko squealed, immediately forgetting that she'd been drifting into a bad mood. "You back!"

"Yes," he declared boldly and strode into the office. "I'm back! Did you miss me, Mori-chan?'

"Yeah!" She slipped off her father's lap and ran around the desk to hug her brother's legs.

Naruto bent down to scoop the little girl up into his arms. "Well, I'm back now, so you don't have to miss me anymore!"

Minato smiled at the sight. Naruto hadn't been terribly enthused about getting a baby sister, let alone _another_ new sibling. But the cute little girl had grown on him, and when she wasn't being a little monster he was the protective older brother.

The little girl giggled in her brother's arms before catching sight of someone that she liked ever better over his shoulder. "Sasuke!"

"Hello, Moriko," the Uchiha muttered as he slunk into the office with Haruno Sakura not far behind.

Moriko practically lunged from Naruto's arms and into Sasuke's, her blue-green eyes shining with absolute adoration. Sasuke suffered her attention with a pained expression. Sakura quietly cooed over the awkwardly cute scene of Uchiha Sasuke holding a toddler. And Naruto just looked annoyed.

"Cradle robber," the eighteen-year-old blonde muttered. "Don't you have enough fangirls?"

"If I tell her off, she'll cry," Sasuke shot back quietly.

"Huh, you never cared about making _me_ cry, _Sasuke-kun_," Sakura pointed out with a sharp look.

"Welcome back you three," Minato chuckled. "I take it that your mission was a success?"

"_Hai_, Hokage-sama," Sakura and Sasuke nodded, while Naruto just flashed a broad smile with a thumbs up.

"Excellent," the Hokage nodded.

Team 7—now Team Kakashi, although Kakashi only led their missions about half the time anymore—had had some rough patches, but had matured into a fine shinobi team. Sasuke had the most trouble, but was now a jounin and Minato was considering the idea of allowing him the chance to try ANBU training. Sakura was a solid chuunin and an exceptional medic—first studying under Shizune before Tsunade herself took an interest in the girl. And Naruto was also a chuunin, maybe a month or two away from making jounin himself.

"I expect your written reports by tomorrow," he smiled and handed them their pay slips. "Dismissed."

Sasuke and Sakura left immediately, but Naruto lingered; partly to distract his sister so that the Uchiha could make his escape.

"So, nothing out of the ordinary happened?" Minato asked his eldest son curiously.

"Nope," the whiskered blonde shrugged and lazily twirled a kunai on his finger, much to Moriko's fascination. "We took care of the bandits and the missing-nin leading them with minimal injury on our side. Sasuke was a bit of a jerk, but what else is new?" As he spoke, his eyes drifted over to the clock that hung on the office wall.

"…Do you have somewhere you need to be?" Minato inquired curiously.

"No," was the immediate response. "…Well, maybe. It depends…"

"Depends on what?"

Naruto glanced nervously around the office. "Um…"

"I bet he's going to see his _girlfriend_."

"Hey!" Naruto immediately whirled on the blue-eyed, red-headed boy who had appeared in the doorway with a couple of manga magazines in his arms. "She's just my friend, Arashi!"

Minato was instantly curious. _Girlfriend?_

Arashi, the little surprise that had gotten his behind kicked, was five years old now, and a quiet, intelligent little boy who was looking forward to entering the Academy next year. While his older brother was loud and gregarious, and his younger sister was bubbly and out-going, Arashi was rather introverted. His red-haired son preferred to read or stay on the sidelines and watch other people. At times, he'd been so quiet as an infant that Kushina would obsessively check on him, just to make sure that he hadn't mysterious expired.

"Whatever," Arashi shrugged. "She's going to give you cooties."

"Girls don't have cooties," Naruto scoffed. "Otherwise you would've caught them from Mom or Moriko a long time ago."

"They're family, that's different!" Arashi insisted.

"No it isn't!" Naruto shot back.

The Hokage tried not to laugh as he watched his two sons bicker. Naruto had taken the arrival of his first sibling fairly well and had been rather intrigued (once the shock wore off) with the idea of having a little brother. The reality of a baby had been a hard hit to his senses, and Kushina had cheerfully noted that they would never have to worry about Naruto getting a girl in trouble. But, in spite of the wide gap in their ages, both boys got along great with each other…most of the time.

"Why do you hang out with her?" Arashi frowned. "She has creepy eyes."

"Hinata-chan's eyes aren't creepy!" Naruto hissed.

"Daddy, I'm hungry!" Moriko complained, tugging on his sleeve.

"Enough, boys," Minato sighed, cutting things off before it could spiral into name-calling. "Arashi, please take your sister and find some snacks."

"Okay," Arashi sighed and tucked his magazines under one arm so that he could take Moriko's hand. "Let's go find some potato chips Mori-chan."

"I want a cookie!" Moriko declared as she let her other brother lead her out into the hall.

When the two young children were gone from the room, Minato eyed his eldest with hidden amusement. "So you want to go visit Hyuuga Hinata?"

"I like training with her," Naruto replied defensively. "Going against _Juuken_ and the Byakugan is a wicked challenge."

"Very true," the Yondaime nodded. "Just don't do anything with her that will have Hiashi on the doorstep demanding your head, alright?"

"Sure," Naruto muttered and slunk out of the office with a hint of pink on his face.

Minato smiled and settled back into his chair with a satisfied sigh. So far, today had been a good day. He'd had some fun with his daughter, his older son had returned safely and successfully, and he hadn't had to suffer through any meetings with irritating people.

_I love my life…_

He had pretty much everything that he'd ever wanted. He was married to the woman that he loved. He had three wonderful children. And he was the Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato.

_But…_

Life was never perfect. While the furor over his family had died down after his second son had been born, there would always be a segment of the village who disapproved. Uchiha Madara was still out there and still lusting after vengeance and the power of the Bijuu, putting Naruto and the village in danger. And there was always the thing to no one ever saw coming—a natural disaster, a sudden death or assassination, an attack from another ninja village, or something else undreamed of…

_What if…_ he wondered, falling into an old mental rut. _What if I hadn't stopped to speak with Orochimaru that day? What if I hadn't been sealed? What if I had been open with my friends about my relationship with Kushina? What if the Kyuubi hadn't come? What if…_

"What's wrong?"

Minato blinked to find his wife looking at him worriedly.

"Oh, nothing," he shrugged, dropping his gaze to his desk. "I was just thinking too much, again."

"Ah." Kushina set down the cup of coffee that she'd brought him and settled into his lap. "Don't do that!" she scolded and lightly bopped him on the head.

"Yes, dear," he chuckled and hugged her close.

"Would you trade everything that you have now, for one of your damn 'what if's?' where things might actually turn out to be worse?" she demanded.

"…No." He kissed the top of her head and clasped her hand so that their rings clinked together. "I wouldn't trade this for the world."

**THE END**

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**1)** _Have I "burned out", quit, etc?_

No. I'm sorry if this end seems rather abrupt, but it's what I've had in mind since the beginning. And the reason I've managed so many updates is because I completed writing this story weeks ago.

**2)**_ Will there be more/a sequel/a prequel?_

No, I currently have no plans for more. But who knows what the future holds...

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Well, this is the end. I hope you all enjoyed the story; I certainly had a lot of fun writing it. And if you didn't, well...why on earth would you read it all the way to the end?!


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